Surrender
by Princess Seki
Summary: Kuronue's memory is haunting Kurama. But is it just a memory... or a cry for help? KuramaxKuronue, rape, torture
1. Chapter 1

AN: My first fanfiction on this site! YAY!! To all of my wonderful readers/reviewers: I am somewhat twisted. My stories may or may not creep you out. If they do, sorry. If not... I'll try harder. One thing IS for sure, none of my stories are intended for children. Got me? IF YOU ARE NOT OF LEGAL AGE IN YOUR AREA, I EXPECT YOU TO LEAVE THIS PAGE RIGHT NOW! Now, for all of you who are left, this story is set after the Three Kings saga. Don't know what that is? Umm... you suck. Go watch the damn series. This may have to be some sort of quasi-AU. I don't know yet, I'm working it out. Yes, for anyone who hasn't figured it out yet, Kuronue is in this story. And yes, for anyone who's dense, Kurama and Kuronue are ex-lovers in this story. That means HOMOSEXUALITY! Don't like it? Well, pull the stick out of your ass and get off this page. Also (last thing, I promise), there is a rape scene (and will most likely be several more) in this story. If that offends you, I apologize, but I felt it was necessarily explicit and no more. If you cannot bear to read it, email me. I can send you a cleaned-up version (although I feel that it is very much lacking and am displeased with how it turned out).

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or anything relating to it. Once I find a way to buy out Togashi, though...

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_"Kurama! KURAMA!!"_ Kurama woke with a jerk, sitting up quickly, his jewel-green eyes sweeping the room. Shadows danced on his white-painted walls, but they were nothing but the branches of the big cherry tree outside his window. Slowly his breathing returned to normal, the cold sweat evaporating in the warm air of his bedroom. A single name floated to the front of his mind… _Kuronue._

Kurama's ex-partner had been visiting him recently in his dreams, forcing him to relive Kuronue's horrifying death; or rather, the events leading up to his capture, eventually leading to his death. But why had he been appearing so frequently lately? Sure, Kurama had dreams about his once-lover every now and then, but never every night. He had a feeling Kuronue was trying to tell him something… After all, the only means of communication between the living and the dead were dreams, but what could he be trying to tell him? Kurama already felt badly about Kuronue's death; terrible, in fact. If he could go back and change anything, he would… but changing the past simply wasn't possible. Suddenly, without warning, Kurama was thrust into a memory…

_"Please, PLEASE!!" Kuronue was writhing, strapped spread-eagle to a wooden table, surrounded by a group of demons. A barb was jutting through his left ankle, and his left leg was not moving with the rest of him. In fact, it wasn't moving at all. The demons were laughing, torturing the injured man with jabs at his bare torso and pinches at his pert nipples. But the torture ceased suddenly, the demons widening back into a semi-circle around the chained man. Kuronue laid back on the table, breathing hard, looking around for his next tormentor. A human man in a black, pinstriped business suit approached the table, sweeping his long black hair back behind his shoulders. He looked down at the injured demon, eyes roaming over his sweat-streaked body._

_"You are the infamous bandit Kuronue, yes?" A light finger trailed down Kuronue's chest, tracing small patterns on his abs, pausing just above his low-sitting pants._

_"Yes…" Kuronue's voice was soft and hoarse; Kurama was appalled to hear the submission in the normally proud voice._

_"And where might your young partner be? I hear he's a pretty little Youko… did he leave you here to rot?" The man smirked, his hand drifting upward to stroke abused nipples. Kuronue inhaled sharply, his chest flexing slightly under the stimulation._

_"I left him behind, didn't want him getting in the way. Leave him out of this." The business-suited man's smirk only widened._

_"Ah, a bit protective, are you?" That hand was wandering again, downward… With one swift movement he hooked a finger around the waistband of the pants and pulled them down. Kuronue didn't even bat an eye at being exposed to everyone in the room. Rather, his eyes closed as his flaccid member was massaged; gently at first, then a harsher squeeze. Shockingly lavender eyes shot open in pain and Kuronue let out a shocked gasp._

_"A-ah! S-stop, what are you do-oing?" The man gave another sharp squeeze, then a firm tug. Kuronue let out a pained cry, his hips jerking backwards. "Stop, please!" The man's face was set in a snarl now._

_"Your partner, Kuronue, I want him. He has the mirror you two stole and I want it back. WHERE IS HE?" Kuronue gasped as his abused member was jerked upward._

_"I already told you, he's not part of this. The mirror is in a safe place. You're not going to get it by killing me, so I'd rethink that plan if I were you. And- aah!- I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but people have to be far prettier than you if they want a piece- nngh!- of MY ass." The snarl on the human's face grew livid. Kuronue laid his head back, smiling smugly, until he heard the sound of a zipper and the rustle of starched cloth. "What-HNNG!" He threw his head back, his entire body arching painfully upward as the human thrust himself violently into Kuronue's unprepared entrance. The suited man howled his satisfaction, beginning to move immediately. Kuronue strained against his bonds, his muscles clenched painfully._

_Blood was easing the violent movements of the human and he was adjusting to this newfound ease with harder, faster thrusts. Kuronue was panting and moaning, intermittent cries interrupting the steady rhythm._

_"Yes," hissed the human, moving ever faster, thrusting ever harder, "you're just as good as the stories say. Forget about dying, my pet, I can make much more money off of you if you're alive!" Kuronue was feeling the pleasure now, his hips moving involuntarily to meet the thrusts of his captor. His breath was ragged, and his release was imminent. His bound hands strained again, reaching for his aching need… but the human laughed at his desperation. He stopped his thrusts, looking down at the flustered bat demon. "You are mine now, and I decide when you are allowed to come…" Kuronue's frustration showed on his face; he writhed in his bonds, desperate for release. He knew what the man wanted, and he was not about to give him the satisfaction._

_"Go to hell, I don't beg." His voice was low and husky, passionate. The human thrust again, then paused, trailing a light finger down Kuronue's throbbing length. The demon moaned beautifully, almost losing his composure, but he regained control. "Fuck off, man. I'm not your pet."_

_"Oh, but you are." Another light finger stroked the demon's hardened member. Kuronue twitched, stopping a moan deep in his throat. "I control you, pet. You do exactly" he gave a hard thrust, "as" another hard thrust "I" another thrust. Kuronue moaned. "tell" another thrust; Kuronue was getting dangerously close to his peak. "you" another thrust "to!" He thrust in deeply, slamming into Kuronue's prostrate and pushing him over the edge. With a roar, Kuronue released, his back arching so harshly he felt it crack as his seed sprayed over his chest and his tormentor's abdomen. One more thrust and the human spilled his seed into Kuronue's bleeding backside, the boiling liquid burning in the bloody wounds. Kuronue screamed, thrashing._

_"Mine…" he hissed, bending over the heaving, sweat-soaked chest of his victim. "You'll make me a pretty penny, my lovely little whore. People will pay millions for a night with you…"_

Kurama shuddered as the memory faded and he was again in his room, staring blankly at the wall before him. What did that memory mean? Who had sent it to him? Certainly not Kuronue, and yet it had seemed to be from his perspective… Why WHY would someone force him to watch that? His mentor, his partner, his lover… tortured to the point of surrender…

The boy stood, crossing his arms and walking across the room to his window. The cherry tree outside it waved lazily in the light breeze, its fragrant flowers wafting an appealing scent through the window. Kurama closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. The scent of flowers always calmed him… it had always calmed Kuronue too. Emerald eyes snapped open wearily; how did Kuronue manage to own his thoughts like this? The past was the past and he couldn't change it. That was that!

Wrapped up in his thoughts, the teen almost didn't notice the shadow slipping across his yard and up his cherry tree. Almost. With a few muttered Makian commands to the potted plants on his windowsill, Kurama moved towards the window again to watch the incoming visitor. It was a bit late for Hiei to be visiting, and Yusuke and Kuwabara would use the front door. And Botan was simply too flamboyant to be able to hide in the shadows. Confident in the trap he had ordered his plants to set, Kurama waited for his visitor to make his, or her, presence known.

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So? Did you like it? Did you hate it? TELL ME!! Writing is nothing more than words if it is not understood an appreciated, and does not exist at all if no one reads it. I WANT MY WRITING TO EXIST!! Soo... questions? Comments? Flames? Leave me reviews!! Love you all!

Princess Seki


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers! I'm glad this story is sparking some interest! Now, I know that this chapter is short, but it's finals week at college and I'm trying to maintain my good GPA (and keep my scholarships). Hopefully this is enough to satisfy you until I can get the next part typed up (this was originally only half of the chapter, but stress and fatigue lead me to split it). Don't worry, your favorite characters will be appearing soon enough! Stick with me!

Warnings: Mild language is about all that's in this chapter. Next chapter will bring a few more warnings. ;)

Dislcaimer: I don't own YYH or anything relating to it.

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The shadow slithered up the trunk of the cherry tree inhumanly, appearing at Kurama's window a moment later. He recoiled, disgusted, as a particularly grotesque demonic face loomed from the darkness towards his closed window. The creature seemed to be some sort of snake demon by the look of it, and in no way attractive. Kurama forced the look of revulsion from his face and approached the window.

"Can I help you?" The face twisted in some sort of expression; Kurama thought it might have been confusion.

"Youko Kurama?" His speech was broken and heavily accented, but Kurama was certain he was male.

"Who's asking?" He still hadn't opened the window, and the demon had made no move to open it either. Apparently he had no interest in coming into Kurama's room; he was obviously not there to kill.

"Master Sakyo ask. Partner send message. Want see Youko Kurama." Kurama frowned, moving towards the window.

"My partner sent a message? Who, Hiei?" The demon shook his ugly head.

"No. Other partner. Kuronue." Emerald eyes widened and Kurama stared blankly for a moment before blinking and shaking his head.

"Kuronue's dead, he was killed in a trap a long time ago. My partner is Hiei now, so unless you have a message from him, I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Kuronue send message. Want see you. Miss you." Kurama was scowling now, restraining himself from sending one of his plants straight through the snake demon's skull.

"I told you, Kuronue is dead. Now, what does your master want from me? Obviously he sent you to deliver a message of some sort." The demon shook his head.

"Master Sakyo agree to send me for Kuronue. Want see you. Need help. Not dead. Need help." Kurama felt a growl rising in his throat. With a flare of demonic energy, he thrust his arm through the glass and pulled the demon in, holding him up to his face, snarling.

"Kuronue is DEAD! I know; I saw the trap that killed him! Now, either tell me what your master wants or get the hell out. I am NOT in the mood to listen to lies!"

"Kuronue want see y-" But the creature was unable to finish his sentence as Kurama's fist wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off his airway.

"Stop LYING to me! Kuronue is dead, leave his memory in peace!"

"You have dream." The words were choked out, barely audible, but Kurama froze, staring at the demon he was clutching.

"What did you just say?" His voice was soft, dangerous. How could this creature possibly know about the dreams he had been having? He slackened his hold slightly, allowing the demon some air.

"Kuronue send dream. Want help. He say come. He say bring mirror."

"He-what? What mirror?" Kurama racked his memories. Mirror… He and Kuronue had never had a mirror… Well, they HAD stolen a mirror once. But that was the botched heist that had gotten Kuronue caught… Besides, Kurama had been ambushed just before he got back to their lair. The mirror had never even made it back to the keep. But Kuronue couldn't have known that… "The Mirror of Darkness… but what could he want with that? We only stole it because it was a challenge." The demon's eyes lit up at the name of the mirror.

"Mirror of Darkness, yes. Bring mirror. Kuronue need you. Come with me." Kurama frowned at him, releasing his neck completely.

"I don't have it. It's in Spirit World-" He was cut off by a loud hiss from the snake demon.

"Spirit World?! No! You get. I return in one week. Remember, Kuronue need you." And, quick as a flash, he slithered down the tree, across the yard, and out of sight. Kurama pondered this new information until his gaze fell upon the bloodstain spreading on the carpet. Snapping back to reality, he glanced down to see small rivulets of blood running from the lacerations on his hand. "Damn, mother will throw a fit," he muttered, wrapping his shirt around his hand and heading for the bathroom. He tossed a handful of seeds over his shoulder to hatch tiny plants that would devour the blood before it had time to set in and stain the fibers of the carpet.

Standing in front of the mirror in his bathroom, Kurama's thoughts wandered to the mirror locked in Spirit World's vault. He could steal it; that would be simple enough. But he didn't want to betray Koenma's relatively newfound trust in him. And then there was the problem of Yusuke… As soon as the mirror was discovered missing, Yusuke would be after him with a vengeance. And Kuwabara… and Hiei. Sighing, Kurama finished bandaging his bloody hand and walked back to his room. The plants had finished cleaning the blood from the carpet and were dying off. This particular species had to eat constantly or they would starve within moments.

Scooping up the dead plants, the red-head tossed them out his broken window and headed for his desk. He flipped on his desk light and sat down to think. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he picked up a pencil and let his fingers sketch blindly over the paper beneath them. Before long he had drawn a decently accurate picture of the Mirror of Darkness. His hand kept drawing… Kurama watched as Kuronue's face appeared, line by line, almost a perfect reproduction. The face he had known for so long… The face he had thought had been dead for so long. He owed this man his life, his freedom, everything. If there was something, anything he could do to help him, repay the debt he owed him… well, that was just something he had to do. Resolving to talk to Yusuke in the morning, he flipped off his light and went back to bed.

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Well? What did you think? Love it? Hate it? TELL ME!! Oh, and to clear things up, Sakyo is NOT the Sakyo that died in the series. You'll have to wait to find out any more than that, though! Much love to my reviewers!

Princess Seki


	3. Chapter 3

My apologies to all for the long wait between updates. I had finals, then work stuff, and... blah. But anyway, I think (hope) you'll all like this new chapter. I'm trying to move the plot along without rushing it, so... there you go. Warnings for this chapter... none to speak of. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or anything relating to it.

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Morning dawned bright and obnoxious; sunlight streamed through Kurama's broken window, pulling him from his restless sleep. Kuronue's face vanished as his eyes snapped open, moving to float at the forefront of his thoughts. The damned man had been invading his dreams all night! But… his pleas for help held more of a meaning for Kurama now. He found himself convinced that the demon from the previous night had not been lying. Now… what to do about this mirror situation.

Rising from his comfortable cocoon of blankets, Kurama wondered briefly why he was bare-chested, then remembered his lacerated hand. He unwrapped it warily, and was pleased to find that the bleeding had stopped. He flexed the damaged fingers, which hurt, and determined that there was still a little bit of glass that he needed to fish out before he allowed the wounds to close completely. He gathered the necessary clothes and headed for the bathroom to shower and clean out his wounds.

Turning on the hot water, Kurama stepped into the shower and closed the curtain, sighing as the soothing water ran down his body. The mirror… As Kurama showered, his mind tossed out solutions to his problem. Certainly he could steal the mirror, that would be no problem, but he didn't want to do that unless he had to. He could just forget about it and accept Kuronue as dead, but that was hardly an option. Abandoning the man who had rescued him so many times before? Unthinkable. And then there was Yusuke. Perhaps he could explain the situation and get the mirror on loan. He supposed he could even ask his team to help, but he didn't really want to do that. After all, this was his problem, not his team's. None of them even knew Kuronue, he couldn't ask them to risk their safety to help a man they'd never met.

Absentmindedly, Kurama began to pick shards of glass out of his hand. Blood began to flow, staining the water gathering around his feet bright red. Kurama continued what he was doing, not concerned about the blood. When he finished, he rinsed his bloody hands off as best he could and shut the water off. Blood oozed from the cuts moments after the water stopped washing it away. Fascinated, Kurama watched it flow for a moment before he stepped from the shower, dripping, and dried himself before wrapping his towel around his hand. He winced as his wound bled into the fluffy white fabric, making a mental note to buy new towels before his mother found this one. Dressing, and spreading a poultice on his hand, Kurama re-wrapped his wound and headed downstairs for breakfast. Shiori looked up as he walked in, smiling.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Would you like some breakfast?" Kurama smiled at her.

"Thank you, no, mother. Just some tea, please." He accepted a cup from her and sipped it slowly, making sure to keep his injured hand by his side, out of sight.

"Were you having a night mare last night, Shuuichi? I heard you moving around and talking last night…" Kurama nodded, accepting the cover story his mother provided for him, slipping effortlessly into the lie.

"Yes, mother, sorry to have disturbed you. I was dreaming about a terrible dragon terrorizing the city. I had to stop it, but I couldn't…" Shiori smiled sympathetically, patting her son's shoulder gently.

"You've been having a lot of nightmares lately. You should eat better, dear." Kurama nodded, still sipping his tea. He really had been having a lot of nightmares lately. Apparently he was fairly noisy when he was having them. He would have to remember to ward his room so that he would stop concerning his mother.

"Yes, mother, I'll try to eat better." Finishing his tea, Kurama rinsed his cup and set it in the dishwasher. Giving his mother a hug and a kiss, still careful to keep his bandaged hand out of sight, Kurama headed for the door. "I'm going to be late if I don't hurry. I might be spending the night at a friend's house; I have a project to work on. Is that all right, mother?" Shiori nodded absently, waving goodbye to her son over her shoulder.

"Have fun, Shuuichi. Be safe! I love you!" And, with that, Shiori turned back to her housework. Kurama left, closing the door behind him.

"I love you too, mother."

"Aww, Kurama loves his mommy," came a familiar voice from behind him. Kurama whipped around to see Yusuke Urameshi's smirking face.

"Yusuke, please! I've told you, when we're around humans my name is Shuuichi!" Yusuke shrugged, unconcerned. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be in class right now? Your school starts earlier than mine…" Yusuke shrugged again.

"Class is for motivated people. Besides, I got a weird bulletin from Koenma this morning. Apparently some demon slipped through the Kakai last night and went on a nice romp around Japan before, get this, _he went back to the Makai_! Weird, huh?"

"Indeed," replied Kurama, but Yusuke cut him off before he could go any further.

"So I figure you and me can ditch school together and go find out what he was doing here! What do you say?" Kurama fixed the Spirit Detective with a flat stare.

"Yusuke, when have I ever condoned skipping school? Anyway, I already know what the demon wanted: me. He was a messenger sent by an old acquaintance." Yusuke was staring at him, an eyebrow raised suspiciously. "Don't worry, Yusuke, he wasn't here for a fight."

"Oh? That how you busted your hand? Not fighting?" Kurama frowned, flexing his bandaged hand slightly.

"Actually, I wasn't fighting. Just an accident, that's all."

"Sure, accident, whatever…" Yusuke still looked suspicious, but he moved on to the more pressing bit of news. "So who's this old acquaintance and what's the message he was sending?" Kurama hesitated; this had to be phrased well if he didn't want to put Yusuke on guard.

"It was a business proposition." Yusuke's eyes narrowed and Kurama found himself talking fast, trying to explain without revealing TOO much. "An old friend of mine is in some trouble, and he needs my help. And to help him… I need your help." Yusuke folded his arms, fixing Kurama with a piercing stare.

"Ok, what's going on? You know whatever you need you've got." Kurama brightened.

"I need the Mirror of Darkness, and I need you to not ask questions." Yusuke stared blankly for a moment, then began to laugh hysterically.

"Damn, dude, you really had me going for a minute there! Haha, like I'm supposed to believe you're turning all evil and psychotic on me again! Nice one. Now seriously, what do you need me to do?" Kurama wasn't smiling.

"I told you, Yusuke, I need the Mirror of Darkness." The grin dropped from Yusuke's face and his features settled into a scowl.

"You know I can't do that. C'mon man, what's going on?" Kurama shook his head.

"I can't tell you, it's not your problem to deal with. If you want to help me, I need the Mirror. If you can't, well, I'll have to figure something out by myself."

"Kurama, you know Koenma wouldn't let me give you the thing we convicted you of stealing unless you give us a damn good reason. So why don't you just tell me what's going on!" Kurama shook his head again, beginning to walk.

"I'm sorry, Yusuke. You wouldn't understand. Don't worry about it, I'll figure it out. Go to school, you're already late." And then he was gone, walking away from the Spirit Detective as swiftly as he could without actually running. Yusuke watched him go, scratching his head, then turned and went the opposite way. Go to school? No fucking way! He had better things to do, like hunt for a certain three-eyed demon to find out what the hell was going on with Kurama.

"Hey Hiei!"

-

Kurama didn't actually go to school that day; the first time he had ever missed for something non-mission related. Instead, he wandered around the city, thinking. He had 6 days until the messenger returned and expected the Mirror. In other words, he had 6 days to orchestrate one of the most complicated heists he had ever attempted. And he had no Kuronue to help him. This was going to be tough.

Lunchtime found Kurama in a small café, nibbling on a salad and sipping a glass of water as he tried to formulate plans to steal the Mirror. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't notice Hiei's arrival until the little demon tapped him on the shoulder. Kurama jumped, knocking over his water as he did.

"Hiei! God, you startled me!" Hiei frowned, sitting down across from his partner and picking up the glass he had tipped.

"Why so jumpy? You should have felt me from a mile away, I wasn't bothering to hide." He picked up a piece of ice, the corners of his mouth twitching as it evaporated directly from his hand. "Could your jumpiness have something to do with your visitor last night?"

"You've been speaking to Yusuke." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Hiei nodded curtly.

"Damn boy woke me up from a nap with all of his yelling. Told me something about a business proposition. Care to elaborate?" Kurama shook his head, but Hiei wasn't about to let the issue slide that easily. "Wrong answer, fox. What the hell is going on? What could you possibly need the Mirror for?" Kurama shook his head again.

"It's my problem, Hiei, I'll deal with it myself." Hiei folded his arms, glaring.

"Well you're my partner, so I deserve to know why you need one of the few truly apocalyptic devices out there."

"Hiei, I-" but Kurama cut off as Hiei's eyes locked with his own. "Alright… it's Kuronue."

"Kuronue?" Hiei's voice was sharp. "I thought he was dead." Kurama nodded.

"So did I, but I've been having visions lately… At first I thought they were nightmares, but now I think they're memories… his memories. And when that messenger showed up last night, the evidence was too clear for me to deny."

"Evidence? What evidence? What does this have to do with Kuronue?" Kurama took a deep, calming breath.

"I think he's alive, Hiei. And I think he's being kept as a prisoner. I have to help him. He was my partner, my best friend, my…" he trailed off, but Hiei knew what he had been about to say.

"Your lover?" Kurama sighed, resting his forehead in his hands. A sheet of red hair hid his face from Hiei's view.

"It was more than that. I was abused when I was young… Youkos were highly sought-after and sold quite well on the Makian Black Market. He… rescued me from one of my captors, taught me how to live, and helped me become who I am. I can't just throw him to the dogs and go on with my life." Kurama's eyes lifted to meet Hiei's suddenly. "I have to help him. Or die trying. I owe him that much." Hiei studied the emerald gaze locked upon his own for a moment before breaking the eye contact with a nod.

"I understand. So what's the plan?" The kitsune looked up, eyes widening.

"You-you'll help me?" Hiei made no move, just kept a steady gaze on his partner's face. "I… Hiei, you don't have to, this is my problem…" Still Hiei remained silent, just watching. "Thank you… Let's go somewhere more private, I'll tell you what I've been planning…"

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Well? How was it? Not moving fast enough? It'll improve soon, I promise. Anyway, reviews make the world go 'round, so review review review!! Next update will come faster, I promise! Much love to you all!

Princess Seki


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, so this took a lot longer to write than I thought it would... writer's block reared its ugly head! I finally got it done, though, and it's longer than the previous chapters have been. I hope that makes up (at least partially) for the long wait you all had to endure. Um, let's see... Work has been kinda nuts, so I won't promise a speedy update again (I abhor lying). Oh, another thing I feel like I need to address; something that was pointed out to me in a review by Irene Sharda. The Mirror of Darkness was actually originally a mistake. I asked a friend what the mirror was called in the beginning of the series (I have a terrible memory, and the most recent YYH episodes I saw were from the Three Kings saga). She told me she thought it was the Mirror of Darkness, so that's what I put. As for it being the same as a mirror Kurama and Kuronue stole in a movie, I wouldn't know anything about that. I have not seen any of the YYH movies and don't intend to (I heard they weren't worth the time and effort), which probably means I shouldn't be using Kuronue, but oh well. The mirrors must be a happy coincidence, and the fact that they are not the same mirrors in the series does not bother me. Remember earlier, when I said that this may be some sort of AU? Welcome to my new and improved world!

Warnings: Language, slight sexual innuendo

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or anything relating to it.

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"… and, if all goes as planned, no one will ever be the wiser." Hiei and Kurama were strolling through a forest quite a ways outside the city, discussing Kurama's plan to steal the Mirror of Darkness. The forest had been Hiei's idea; he was more at ease in nature than he was in the city, and plants always seemed to calm Kurama anyway. After an outburst like the one at the table in the café today, Hiei felt Kurama needed all the soothing he could offer. He had never seen his partner so uptight before!

"Alright, so let me get this straight." Hiei paused for a moment, thinking, then shook his head. "No, nevermind, I don't get it. How did you manage to plan that all in the last 15 hours?" Kurama looked at him blankly.

"What do you mean? It's actually a fairly basic plan, I'm starting to wonder if it'll work…" He sighed, raking a hand through his ruby locks. "Yusuke's going to kill me… and Koenma will never trust me again." His slender form fell gently back to rest against the trunk of a large tree, his entire posture suggesting weariness. Hiei echoed his sigh, folding his arms across his chest and letting his gaze fall to the ground.

"That's probably true…"

"And you…" Hiei looked up to see Kurama looking at him almost cautiously.

"What about me?" Hiei's voice was flat.

"Well… you're part of the team too… " In a flash, Kurama found himself face to face with a very angry Hiei, who had the red-head's collar gripped firmly in his fist.

"Fox! Don't you EVER imply that I would sell out my partner!" The snarl in Hiei's voice was evident, his tone threatening.

"No, not sell out, just…" Kurama trailed off as Hiei gave him a rough shake.

"Stop it! You son of a bitch, how can you even THINK I would put my loyalty to fucking Yusuke above my loyalty to YOU? FUCK YOU!" He shoved Kurama away, spinning on his heel and disappearing into the trees. Kurama was ashamed. He let his head fall to his chest and his body fall back against the tree again. Why was he suddenly driving everyone away from him like that? First Yusuke, now Hiei…

_You do not need them…_ a small voice whispered in his head. Kurama frowned, trying to ignore it, but the little voice would not be silenced. _Kuronue is alive! Find him; resume our old life of fame, riches!_

'Youko, enough! You know that's not possible. Even if I find him, who knows what mental state he'll be in? He may not have the mental capacity to pick up where we left off…' That thought came hard; Kuronue had always been the pillar of strength Kurama looked up to. Still, the voice of the demon thief Kurama had once been persisted.

_What use do you have for the human world? Our powers are restored, return to Makai! Besides, how much longer do you want to put your precious human family in danger? Leave them in peace, return to Kuro!_

'And what of Yusuke? What of Kuwabara? What of Hiei?'

_What of them? You can avoid Yusuke and that lout Kuwabara if you give half an effort. As for Hiei… if you desire him, take him with you. I am sure Kuro would not mind an addition such as Hiei…_

'I can't order him around, he's not mine to control! Hiei does as he pleases, not as he is ordered.'

_If you request it of him, he will follow you. You know I am right…_

'Perhaps…' The conversation ended, Youko retreating into silence in the back of Kurama's mind. The two halves had reached a temporary agreement, but Kurama knew it would not last. Youko had been speaking to him for years and he was used to it by now, but the man had become far more insistent lately. He demanded a return to Makai; he hated it in the human world.

-

Later that night, Kurama was preparing to sleep. He had taken a room in Genkai's dojo despite her questions, and given the vague excuse that he needed to do some training this weekend. Although she was suspicious, Genkai left the subject, and Kurama, alone. So, now, he was sitting on the edge of the mattress Genkai had provided, brushing his hair. It was soothing to him, the steady feel of the brush through his hair. Calmly, he floated in a mental state close to meditation, thinking about the events of the day, his plan to steal the Mirror, Kuronue, Hiei…

Kurama heard a soft sound outside his window and felt a breeze as the window was opened soundlessly. Well, speak of the devil…

"Hello, Hiei…" He was answered by a barely audible grunt and the sound of footsteps as Hiei let himself in. Kurama put down the brush and turned to face his partner, reservations blooming in his chest.

Hiei stood calmly, his arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face. For a long moment, neither Hiei nor Kurama moved. Then, Hiei shifted, breaking the awkward stillness.

"So… when do you want to steal the Mirror?" A smile broke over Kurama's face as he and his partner sat down to work out the details of their heist.

Kurama's plan to steal the Mirror went off without a hitch four days later, and he returned to his mother's house to await the arrival of the snake demon to take him to Kuronue and this mysterious 'Master Sakyo". Certainly this wasn't the same man who had died in the Dark Tournament. Whoever he was, this man had had Kuornue for a long time… Sakyo had never managed to make it to the demon world, though it had been his dearest ambition. But… hadn't Kurama heard somewhere that Sakyo had siblings? He thought hard; Shizuru had confided something in him one night when she couldn't sleep…

"_Kurama?" Kurama looked up from the magazine he'd been flipping through to see Shizuru standing a few feet from him, dressed in her pajamas, her arms wrapped tightly around her body. "I… didn't know anyone else was up…" Kurama folded the magazine and stood, sensing the girl's unease. Truthfully, he was uneasy as well; he had moved to the common lounge area between the Urameshi team's rooms to read without waking anyone else. The last person he had expected to see was Shizuru._

"_Shizuru… is everything alright?" She nodded, making as if to turn and return to her room, but she paused thoughtfully._

"_Can I… ask you something?" He gestured to the couch he had been sitting on and she took the invitation, settling onto it and curling into a little ball. Patiently, the red-head waited for Shizuru to tell him what was on her mind. "What do you think of Mr. Sakyo?" Kurama frowned, thinking about that question carefully before he answered._

"_Well… he's certainly ambitious… and powerful…" That didn't seem to be what Shizuru was going for. "Why do you ask?" She seemed to be struggling with herself over something._

"_I dunno, I just… He's so different from other men… I feel bad for him sometimes; he's nothing like his brothers…" Kurama said nothing; digesting this information, letting Shizuru vent her feelings. "He always felt so alone within his family, he was so different from them…"_

"_Did he tell you this?" asked Kurama, gently. Shizuru nodded, sighing. "And you feel bad for him, but you feel guilty about feeling bad for him because he's the owner of our rival team."_

"_It's not just that!" burst out Shizuru, "I think I really love him!" At this, Kurama frowned._

"_Shizuru, you barely even know him. I seriously doubt you're in love with him." The girl nodded, hugging herself a bit tighter, then rising from the couch and turning back for her room_

"_You're right… thanks for listening…" And then she was gone. Thoughtfully, Kurama turned towards his own room. He wasn't about to sleep, but the darkness of his room was strangely appealing. Perhaps it would help him think…_

Different from his brothers… Apparently he had more than one sibling. Was it possible that this Sakyo was related to the one who had died? Well… nothing was impossible… But then, how had this one managed to make it to the Makai? Lacing his fingers behind his head, Kurama leaned back in his chair, pondering, but a bored sigh brought him back to reality.

"Fox, is this seriously all you ever do? Sit and think? Damn, you must have a boring life…" Hiei was sitting on Kurama's bed, apparently finished fiddling with the Mirror, which lay beside him. He was frowning at the back of Kurama's head, and when that got him no attention, he hopped off the bed and began to wander about the room. He'd been staying with Kurama ever since they stole the Mirror, and he was getting antsy being cooped up inside all the time.

"If you're so bored, I'm sure my mother would be more than happy to talk to you," said Kurama innocently, but there was a hint of a chuckle in his voice.

Shiori had been more than happy to welcome Hiei into their home, thinking him a friend from Kurama's school, but she was very curious about him and loved to ask him questions. It wasn't that Hiei couldn't think up convincing lies, but more that he hated having to bother. Every time he went downstairs, even for a glass of water, Shiori was on him in an instant, badgering him with questions, offering tea and cakes, inviting him to sit and talk with her. Kurama laughed it off, telling Hiei that it was rare for him to bring people home. That was why Shiori was so thrilled to finally meet one of his friends. Hiei thought it was possibly the most obnoxious thing he'd ever had to deal with, and that included all the time he'd had to spend with Kuwabara. No matter… the messenger was due back tomorrow; they would be departing for the Makai soon.

The altercation earlier in the week had not been mentioned since Hiei's return, and Kurama truly had no desire to bring it up. After all, Hiei was his partner, and one of his closest friends. He was content to let the issue stay in the past, and apparently Hiei was as well. Still, a somewhat uneasy air hung between the two and made for a level of discomfort Kurama had not experienced with Hiei since they first met. So, as they were settling down to sleep, Kurama was unsurprised to find himself restless. He knew he needed sleep, but he kept tossing and turning, worry gnawing at his stomach. When he finally forced his eyes closed, he was overwhelmed by another memory.

"_Ready to tell me where the kitsune is yet?" The black-haired man was standing with his back to Kuronue, frustration plain in his voice. Kuronue was suspended by his arms from the ceiling, his entire body sagging from exhaustion._

"_I already did," said Kuronue, his voice somewhat strained. No wonder; he was black and blue all over from very apparent beatings and angry whip-weals criss-crossed their way up his stretched-out body. Even breathing seemed to cause pain, but the black-haired man was far from finished. Spinning abruptly, he struck the bound demon with something resembling a riding crop. Only when a thin line of blood appeared across Kuronue's abdomen did Kurama realize that the crop was actually a thin blade._

"_Your mouth is going to get you into trouble!" snapped the black-haired man. That wicked little blade whipped through the air again, this time striking the chained bat's back. Kuronue stifled a groan and Kurama knew that he was suffering. His heart swelled with emotion as he watched the beating; all because Kuronue refused to give up the location of Kurama. Quite suddenly, the human threw the blade aside and released a lever on the wall. Kuronue crumpled to the ground in a heap, then slowly forced himself upwards despite an obviously protesting body. With a cruel smirk, the human walked to him and delivered a sharp kick to the side that sent the bat sprawling again._

"_Just stay down where you belong." The black-haired man was walking away again, towards a door on the far side of the room. "Rest and recover, your first buyer arrives the day after tomorrow." He paused, turning back to face the collapsed demon. "And after that _I_ will return to see if your tongue has loosened at all on the subject of your young partner. I _will_ get that mirror, Kuronue." His lips shifted into a smirk. "And I _will_ get the kitsune."_

"_Like hell you will," growled Kuronue. "That boy is better now than you'll ever be, and he only stands to improve. And…" his voice wavered for a moment as he hesitated, then continued. "You can forget about any rescue attempts. He's far smarter than that; I'm dead to him now. You'll never lay a hand on him." The last of his strength spent, he fell unceremoniously to the ground._

As the memory faded, Kurama heard the final echoing words of the black-haired human. _"We'll see about THAT…"_ He shivered, realizing for the first time that he had rolled out of bed during that memory and was huddled on the ground beside his nightstand. He sat up, then jumped as he finally noticed the pair of red eyes staring down at him.

"Hiei! Don't scare me like that!"

"What happened?" Hiei's voice was sharp, his hand tight on the hilt of his sword. Kurama shook his head, holding up a hand.

"Nothing, no need to panic. It was nothing but a… bad dream." He didn't feel like explaining exactly what he had experienced to the little fire demon. It would only raise a line of questioning he really didn't feel like answering at the moment. "Just go back to-" He cut off abruptly as Hiei leaped, quite suddenly, out the window, his sword flashing from its sheath as he moved. Before Kurama had a chance to get up, Hiei was back, the ugly little messenger demon clutched in his fist.

"What do you want?" Hiei demanded of the creature he was holding. "Who sent you?" The snake demon writhed, apparently unable, or unwilling, to respond.

"Hiei, no, that's Sakyo's messenger!" Hiei glanced up at Kurama briefly, then dropped the snake demon with a grunt.

"Oh. He's _early_…" He re-sheathed his sword in a single movement, but only a fool would think him sufficiently relaxed. Every muscle in his body was taut, ready to react in a millisecond.

The snake demon, meanwhile, was picking himself up with a vicious glare directed at Hiei.

"I return when Master Sakyo say. Not early." He turned his attention to Kurama. "You have Mirror of Darkness?" Kurama nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but the little demon spoke over him. "Good. You come now. See Kuronue, yes?" He turned toward the window and began to slither towards it, but Hiei slammed a foot down on his tail, stopping him with a yelp.

"Where exactly are we going?" The snake turned to snarl at him.

"_We_ go nowhere. I take Youko Kurama with me to Master Sakyo. He say nothing about annoying fire demons."

"Tough shit. If Kurama's going, I'm going with him."

"NO!" snapped the messenger. "Youko Kurama come. He bring Mirror. You stay. End story."

"Why can't he come?" asked Kurama, frowning at the snake demon. "He's my partner, he helped me steal the Mirror." The little demon was becoming steadily more and more annoyed.

"He come, you not see Kuronue!" The reply Kurama had had ready froze on his lips. Seeing Kuronue was the entire point of this heist, and if Hiei was in the way of that… well…

"It's alright, Hiei, I'll go alone."

"What?" Hiei spun, fixing Kurama with a burning glare. "Hell no, I'm coming!"

"Look, I can handle myself. I'll be fine; I'll see you when I get back." His eyes were locked with his partner's, willing the fire demon not to protest anymore. Naturally, Hiei refused the prompt.

"No! Not a chance! I helped you steal the fucking thing; I'm coming with you to see what this psycho wants to do with it!"

"Hiei, please!" The look in Kurama's eyes was something close to pleading now. He HAD to see Kuronue, didn't Hiei understand that? "I'll be fine, don't worry about me." Hiei opened his mouth as if to protest again, then closed it with a snap. He seemed to be thinking for a moment, then finally, grudgingly, nodded.

"Fine, go." And, without another word, he jumped out the window once again. Kurama stared at the place his partner had stood a moment earlier for a full thirty seconds before returning his gaze to the messenger demon, who was waiting impatiently by the window.

"We go now. Get Mirror." Kurama nodded absently, retrieving the Mirror from its hiding place inside his pillow. He noted how the snake's eyes followed the Mirror beadily as he nestled it firmly in his arms. Kurama wasn't about to let the thing out of his sight until he was certain Kuronue was alive.

He was already dressed, having slept in his clothes (he was paranoid like that), so that wasn't an issue. But his mother… Pulling a sealed envelope from his pocket, he kissed it gently and laid it on his desk. Inside was a letter to his mother explaining how he had left early to go and finish his science project. It went on to explain how his project had been nominated for a national award and that he would be gone for some time in the city to see about competing in the national science fair. He promised to call her soon and signed it with love.

Taking one last, long look around his room, Kurama finally turned and nodded to the snake demon, who led him out the window, across the yard, and towards a portal in the nearby woods. Kurama followed him, never once looking back at the house in which he had lived for the past 16 years. No point dwelling on the past; the only way to go was forward. An ironic smile crept across his face in spite of himself. His way forward was a direct connection to his past… Shaking his head, the kitsune lengthened his stride, moving steadily towards whatever was to come.

Both focused on their own thoughts, neither Kurama nor the snake demon noticed the small, dark figure slip from shadow to shadow after them. Hiei scowled to himself as he slid in and out of the light. Damned if he wouldn't follow the fox anyway! The fool had no idea what he was getting himself into…

--

Well? Was it worth the wait? I certainly hope this gets some praise, I'm rather proud of this chapter. But... too much jumping around? Let me know, I don't want to make the same mistake twice! Reviews keep me going, so keep 'em coming! Much love to you all!

Princess Seki


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Yay faster updates!! I had a burst of creativity and look at what happened!! But I don't want to get your hopes up too much. I DO have the next chapter started. I do NOT have it even close to finished. It might be a while for this one, folks. But when it comes, I promise it'll be a doozie! Once again in response to Irene Sharda, I know about Kuronue simply through other people. I read about his character in a fanfic a long time ago and was fascinated by him, so I did a little research and found him to be a very useable character! As for his personality and such, much of it is based off of educated guesses (I would like to think Kurama's partners were all somewhat similar to himself). I suppose I should have watched the movie if I wanted to use him, but I can't justify wasting my life like that just to get a better idea of a character I already feel that I know fairly well. Ok, enough of my rambling. This chapter jumps a lot, but I think it turned out pretty well! Enjoy...

Warnings: None to speak of.

--

The trip through the portal was painful, to say the very least. As soon as Kurama reached the glowing orb, he was sucked in, feeling as though every bone in his body was crushed along the way. When he finally emerged on the other side, he found himself once again in his silver-haired kitsune form. A smile crept across his lips as he flexed his fingers, pleased to feel his old power running through them once more. Purely for the joy of it, he fished a rose out of his hair and commanded it to form his trademark whip. The messenger demon looked back and gave a little gasp as he saw the deadly weapon curled about the youko's feet.

"What you do?!" he hissed breathlessly, his eyes riveted on the razor-sharp spikes that protruded every few inches on the whip. Kurama shrugged, flicking his wrist idly and allowing the whip to dance about him elegantly.

"Nothing yet… Just know that if you've been lying to me…" The whip settled in a nearly perfect circle around the snake demon's quivering body, never once touching him. "The consequences will be dire."

"I no lie!" assured the snake demon, hastily. "You come now. See Kuronue." Kurama gave a muttered command to his whip and it shrank back to a bud, which he once again placed in his hair.

"Lead on…" The messenger obeyed, slithering along at a good pace as he muttered to himself; casting wary glances back at Kurama every so often. The silver-haired demon simply strode along behind him, his usual haughty look fixed on his face to cover his insecurities. _Hold on, Kuronue_, he thought, _I'm coming…_

_-_

Behind the pair, a certain three-eyed demon followed at a significant distance, tracking them with his Jagan. It would not do to get too close and alert them of his presence, but he simply didn't trust Kurama when he was in such an emotional state as he was now. Perhaps his façade was enough to fool those who did not know him, but Hiei knew that the little stunt Kurama had pulled with the whip was a true sign of his insecurity. Youko Kurama did not threaten people; he did not have to! And if he _did_ threaten someone, it would be a subtle threat masked in eloquence, not the blunt words Kurama had delivered. Despite his outer haughtiness, Hiei knew that, inside, the fox was frazzled.

Deciding finally that the pair of demons was moving too slowly for his taste, Hiei veered off the path they seemed to be following and headed for a nearby forest. He was hungry, and there were bound to be some Makian animals in that forest for him to hunt. He would simply track Kurama with his Jagan and catch up to them in an hour or so. Certainly it would take them _that_ long to reach wherever their destination was. No one, not even some cocky mob boss, as he assumed this 'Master Sakyo' was, was foolish enough to open a portal within more than 30 miles of his base; too many possibilities for unwarned attack.

Spotting a rather large, deer-like creature that was common in Makai and tasted excellent when fresh, Hiei melted into the shadows of the foliage and began to stalk.

-

After about an hour or so of brisk walking, Kurama began to grow agitated with his puny demon guide.

"Where is this place? You haven't gotten us lost, have you?" It wasn't that he was tired, more that he was so keyed up from the stress he'd been under for the last week that he simply wanted to arrive and be done with this damned messenger for good. He already had several plans to reclaim the Mirror and escape with Kuronue, and he was ready to use any of them depending on Kuronue's state of health.

"Not lost!" The snake demon cast a frightened look back at Kurama and picked up his pace a little. "We arrive soon. Master Sakyo open portal far from home. He say he want no surprises from infamous Youko Kurama." The ugly little creature gave some sort of odd grimace that Kurama eventually figured out was supposed to be a smile. He seemed to hold some sort of reverence for Kurama's youko form that he had not held for his human form. It probably had to do with appearance; Shuuichi's delicate beauty was far less intimidating that Youko's fierce magnificence, but Kurama was sure the old wives tales that were circulating about him didn't hinder his reputation either.

So… Sakyo didn't want any surprises from Kurama… That was a foolish dream. Kurama's life _was_ secrets and surprises; he wasn't about to pull any punches for the man who had been torturing his best friend for the past many years.

"I hope your master knows who he's dealing with," he murmured, half to himself. The snake demon twisted, giving that odd, grimacing smile again.

"Master Sakyo know…"

-

Hiei allowed himself a satisfied belch as he rose from the remains of the deer-like creature. He had probably eaten more than he actually needed, but the meat had been so tender that he hadn't been able to stop himself until nearly every last ounce of flesh had been stripped from the animal's bones. But, he reflected, glancing down at his blood-stained hands, he _had_ been rather messy about the kill. Nothing a quick wash in the river couldn't fix.

Stripping off his cloak and shirt, the little fire demon immersed his top half in the water, scrubbing quickly then wrenching himself from the icy shallows with a gasp. He _hated_ water; especially cold water… Shaking himself off like a dog, Hiei flared his energy just enough to evaporate the remaining water, then pulled his shirt and cloak back on and opened his Jagan to find Kurama and his hideous little guide. As it turned out, they had picked up the pace and were further than he had expected them to be. Springing up from his position on the ground, Hiei bolted off in the direction of Kurama's faint energy signal. He hoped the other man was prepared for the worst, because he was surely walking into a trap…

Hiei's suspicions were confirmed (in his mind, at least) when he finally caught up with his partner about five miles outside a massive palace-like structure that reminded him faintly of Yomi's headquarters in Gandara. His stomach lurched as he thought back on what had happened last time Kurama met up with one of his old partners. Of course, circumstances now were vastly different, but still… If this 'Master Sakyo' had managed to incapacitate Kuronue, whom Kurama had spoken very highly of (when he spoke of him at all), what did that say about what he could do to Kurama? The youko seemed to have had a propensity for partners who could play his little mind games. Sakyo must be a skilled player as well to hold up for so long against the man who had taught Kurama nearly all he knew. Tucking his apprehension into a back corner of his mind, Hiei masked his energy and stole a bit closer to the preoccupied pair he was following; beginning to plan his own way into the base.

-

A rustle sounded to Kurama's left and he paused, the grass about his feet straightening into needle-like little missiles in anticipation of attack. Suspicious golden eyes roamed the forest surrounding himself and his bothersome escort as silver ears flicked this way and that; listening intently for faint sounds of breathing or movement. Eventually, outwardly satisfied but inwardly still on alert, Kurama signaled for the snake demon to continue moving. Obviously there was _something_ out there watching them, but it was very possibly nothing more than a low-class who had fled at the sight of the legendary thief. Still… Kurama wasn't one to take chances; which was one of the reasons he was still alive. He commanded the foliage in the immediate area to seize anything that came within fifty feet of him.

Almost immediately, a tree shot out a branch and hoisted the messenger demon into the air. He gave a shrieking hiss, his lithe body twisting madly in the tree's tightly closed branches. Kurama allowed himself a cold chuckle as he watched the little demon's struggle, but his attention snapped back to the trees as one of them attempted to apprehend someone behind him, but failed as the creature slipped out of range. Ordering the tree to drop the snake, Kurama spun and began stealing back towards the tree that had attempted to catch whatever was following him. The messenger demon slithered along after him.

"What you do? We need go-!" But he was cut off as Kurama spun, stamping a foot down on his airway and effectively silencing him.

"_Silence…_" He hissed, eyes flashing angrily. The snake rolled his eyes in agreement and Kurama let him up. Without a backward glance, he continued moving towards the tree that had tried to catch his stalker, commanding more foliage to attempt to catch the creature as well. Nothing else made an attempt and Kurama was finally forced to abandon his search in the interest of time. With one last, sweeping glance around him, he reluctantly turned and ordered the messenger demon to lead him to Sakyo's base. He was on guard now; as soon as the creature attempted attack, he would have it in his grasp for questioning.

-

Hiei allowed himself a moment to still his breathing as he sat perched on a large rock somewhere near the heart of the forest. Apparently he'd moved in a bit too close to Kurama and the kitsune hadn't liked it. Hiei'd had hardly a moment to react when a tree branch had shot towards him, its knobby branches catching on his cloak and nearly tearing it from his shoulders! From there he'd begun a frantic, if silent, retreat from the suddenly hostile foliage and taken refuge on the rock to wait out Kurama's search.

Thankfully, the kitsune had contented himself with a fairly short search, but Hiei didn't want to risk disturbing any more greenery for fear that it would report to the plant-master and give away his location. And, while he was sure Kurama would appreciate the intention behind Hiei's unwelcomed tag-along, he was equally sure that the consequences would be unpleasant, to say the least, if his presence ruined a plan already in motion. And Kurama was, undoubtedly, already in the midst of several plans, if Hiei knew him as well as he thought he did. For Kurama, making plans was almost second nature.

Waiting what he deemed a sufficient amount of time, Hiei finally leapt gracefully from the rock and landed lightly on the bare forest floor. Opening his Jagan briefly to pinpoint Kurama, he began picking his way from bare spot to bare spot; a time-consuming, but necessary endeavor if he wanted to avoid detection by the legendary bandit. Luckily, his speed and agility allowed him to make relatively short work of the task and soon he was close enough to follow Kurama's energy signal. Masking his spirit energy again, he fell back slightly and approached the massive compound from the shadows.

-

The snake demon glanced up at Kurama eagerly as they exited the forest at last and approached the huge structure he could only assume was Sakyo's base of operations.

"You like Master Sakyo base?" Inwardly, Kurama was somewhat impressed, but he let none of it show on his face. The building reminded him strongly of Yomi's center of operations in Gandara, but it was a much more humanized version. Keeping his face impassive, he flicked his tail slightly, as though somewhat bored.

"I've seen better." The snake's face dropped into a frown and he continued towards the base in silence, apparently offended. Kurama didn't care; his primary concern was getting Kuronue back. It was time to make preparations for one of his plans.

Glancing down surreptitiously, Kurama made sure the messenger demon was busy sulking before reaching into his hair and pulling out a handful of tiny seeds no bigger than large grains of sand. He allowed them to spill from his hand as he walked, spreading them throughout the courtyard of Sakyo's compound. As a last resort, these seeds would cover his escape; for though they were tiny, the plants they grew were anything but. Just as the last tiny seed flew from the kitsune's hand, the snake demon halted before a pair of ornate double doors and pressed his head to them with a flare of his pitiful energy. A loud chime sounded and the doors swung open smoothly to allow them entry. Pushing down the sudden flutter of anxiety that had flared in his chest, Kurama stepped forward. _I'm here, Kuronue…_

_--_

Hahaha! What will happen next? I promise Kuronue will show up (in the flesh) in the next chapter and we'll also get to meet this mysterious "Master Sakyo". Anyone else curious as to who that might be? I'm writing as fast as my imagination allows! Until the next chapter... review review review!! Love you all!

Princess Seki


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Ok, it was a long wait between updates. But you guys have to admit, I wrote a LOT!! I really like this chapter, but I'm gonna warn you now, it's really long and possibly kind of boring. Sorry, but it's necessary. Still, as promised, Kuronue makes his very first live appearance in this chapter! Yay!! In response to Irene Sharda, I LIKE talking to my reviewers through my writing. You're just the only one who I can actually respond to! XP Now I will probably get the next installment out faster because I don't plan on it being this long, but no guarantees. I'm working on it, I promise!

Warnings: Umm... none. Wow, my writing is getting boring. Maybe something in the next chapter? ;)

--

The interior of Sakyo's building was just as magnificent as the exterior. From gleaming marble floors to sweeping 20 foot ceilings, the compound was truly a sight to behold. And, wonder of wonders, Sakyo seemed to enjoy having foliage about, for every third window had beautifully arranged flowers in front of it in ornate, gold-chased hanging planters. Kurama had to work hard to maintain a straight face; it seemed fortune was smiling upon him! But, as he drew closer to one of the arrangements, his good spirits sank. Silk flowers… Of course; Sakyo wouldn't be foolish enough to provide weaponry for the legendary bandit he had invited into his base.

Pushing down his frustrations, Kurama continued following the little snake demon through the entry-way and towards the middle of the three hallways that branched from it. They all appeared identical; Kurama made a mental note of the path he was being led through so as to better plan an escape route later. He had a feeling that Sakyo wasn't going to let him leave easily; especially not with Kuronue.

A crystal chime rang out, as bright and clear as though it were right next to him, but Kurama saw nothing that could have made the peal as his head whipped around. Apparently the sound had been enchanted to echo throughout the entire compound. Further down the hallway, he saw a door open and a tall, lithe figure dressed in black silks emerged. He brushed his long, glossy black hair behind his shoulders, rustled his wings, and began to walk towards the end of the hallway; his hips swaying in an enticingly familiar way…

"KURONUE!" The figure froze, then slowly turned back to look at Kurama with bright lavender eyes. Kurama's heart soared as, abandoning all pretenses, he ran toward his former partner. Behind him, his guide gave a strangled hiss and screamed for Kurama to halt, but his commands fell on deaf ears. Before Kurama had taken his second step, however, Kuronue had turned abruptly and begun walking, very quickly, down the length of the hallway and out of sight. Kurama halted, both hurt and confused at the same time. Why had Kuronue run away from him like that? The man had sent him all those terrible memories and gone through all this trouble to get him here, then he ran away at the sight of him? A hiss at his knee pulled his attention back to his angry guide.

"You no do that! You follow me, not run off after _him_! See Kuronue later; see Master Sakyo now!" And, without another word, the snake slithered off down the hallway, apparently following the same path Kuronue had taken. Kurama's already fraying nerves came dangerously close to their breaking point when the pitiful little demon chastised him, but he managed to hold his emotions in check. Still, when the messenger looked back to assure himself that Kurama was still following him, he was met with a feral glare that sent an involuntary shiver up the entire length of his body. He quickened his pace, eager to be rid of his charge, and did not look back again.

After several more turns, Kurama was convinced that they must not be following Kuronue's path any longer. He never caught sight of the other man again, and although he thought he smelled the bat's scent faintly, he had no way to convince himself that he was not imagining it. Secure in the promise of a later meeting with Kuronue, he turned his attention to remembering how to navigate his way out of the compound. With his little guide refusing to look back again, Kurama found himself able to wander a bit more around the hallways he was being led through. While none of them had plants readily available for him, nearly ALL of them had windows overlooking the courtyard. It would take nothing more than an extra bit of spirit energy to grow the seeds he had planted in the courtyard large enough to reach these hallways and beyond. The tiniest of smiles crept across his face; his options were opening up…

Half a dozen turns later, Kurama and his serpentine guide reached a pair of double doors that had been ornately carved and covered in gilt. Kurama wrinkled his nose at the tackiness; the doors were really far too overdone for a compound such as this, nevermind the elegance of the hallways. Still resolutely determined not to look back at the spirit fox, the messenger gave instructions while faced directly at the gilded monstrosity in front of him.

"Master Sakyo wait inside; this his meeting room. You press hand to door and flare energy so he know who you are. He let you in. I leave now. Goodbye." And, still without a backward glance, the snake demon slithered off down yet another hallway and quickly disappeared from sight. Glad though he was to be rid of his pesky escort, Kurama still felt a twinge of anxiety as he realized that he had no one to guide him through the maze of hallways anymore. No matter, his path lay directly ahead of him and he had wasted more than enough time with his deliberations. Pressing his palm to the door, he let loose a surge of energy. Perhaps he used a bit more than necessary, but he wanted to leave no doubt in Sakyo's mind who he was dealing with. He was Youko Kurama, and he _would_ be respected.

After a moment of silent stillness, the door gave an almighty creak and began to swing inward. _Fool,_ Kurama chided, mentally. A door that opened inward was much easier to break into than a door that opened outward. Despite his bold display of spirit energy, Kurama entered Sakyo's meeting room cautiously with surreptitious glances in all directions. Just as the doors had been overdone to the point of bad taste, the room fell prey to poor furnishing as well. Obnoxious silks covered in swirling patterns adorned the walls and a plush carpet that appeared to be the exact shade of vomit covered the otherwise attractive marble tiling on the floor. The ceiling was carved with grotesque friezes depicting demons slaying other demons as humans sat about and watched.

Silencing a growl that had risen in his chest, Kurama returned his attention to the raised platform at the front of the room, upon which sat a throne-like chair, also covered in unnecessary amounts of gilt, flanked by a repugnant pair of twin candelabras. In that chair sat a pale human man with long black hair, and by his side crouched none other than Kuronue! Kurama took a step forward excitedly but, catching a nearly imperceptible head shake from the bat demon, he shortened his stride and began to walk more slowly, tearing his eyes from his former partner and fixing them instead upon Sakyo.

The Sakyo that sat in the overdone chair upon the platform was most definitely not the same Sakyo who had died in the Dark Tournament. The hair was nearly identical, it was true, and while it was obvious the two were blood-related, it was also very obvious that this man was a younger brother of the Sakyo who had owned Team Toguro. But… that didn't make any sense. Kuronue had been captured long before Sakyo had ever been born!

"Greetings and welcome, Youko Kurama. I have been looking forward to meeting you. Kuronue speaks very highly of you." He reached down and stroked the top of Kuronue's head almost as one might stroke a pet dog. Kurama's eyes narrowed; Kuronue was no pet to be treated so by some human! Forcing himself to remain calm, Kurama gave the young man seated on the chair a cold smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kuronue tense slightly under Sakyo's hand; he knew how dangerous that smile could be.

"If you wished to see me, why didn't you simply seek me out at the Dark Tournament? I met your brother there." The young man waved a hand impatiently, obviously disdainful.

"That lout had no idea what he was doing. Now, my _eldest_ brother was a real genius. _He_ figured out how to slip through the distortions in the Kakai. And then, of course, there was me; who was granted eternal life after I found the Yu-Su Fountain in the heart of the highest levels of Makai." Kurama's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Yu-Su Fountain; the Fountain of Youth. It was nothing more than a myth, and he was certain of it. He and Kuronue had searched for it long and hard and never found even a clue as to its whereabouts.

"The Yu-Su fountain," he repeated, flatly. Another cold smile lifted his lips. "I suppose after you found that, you also figured out how to turn lead into gold and water into wine, yes?" Sakyo chuckled once without humor.

"But naturally you would doubt the truth of my words. How to convince you… hmm…" He trailed off, obviously thinking hard. Kurama scowled, his eyes drifting to Kuronue momentarily, then snapping back to Sakyo.

"Who are you, exactly? Certainly no brother of the Sakyo I knew; Kuronue was captured before he was even conceived." The young man shook his head again, smiling in a patiently amused sort of way.

"No, I suppose I am not truly his brother. The Sakyo you knew was an ordinary human; absolutely unremarkable in any way." He paused and Kurama waited, unsure how to respond. Apparently not receiving the reaction he was hoping for, Sakyo continued with a slightly exasperated look on his face. "I and my brothers are nothing like him. We do share a father, but that is all we share. I've been told my youngest sibling had aspirations of greatness, but he was not anywhere near mentally stable. Father was disappointed in him and refused to take him to the Yu-Su Fountain I had found. Apparently the boy became enraged and killed the old fool in the middle of the night." He shrugged, showing no emotion as he spoke of his father's murder.

"You still haven't answered my question," the fox-demon growled, his tail swishing angrily behind him. "Give me a straight answer; who are you?!" The man straightened, seeming to take Kurama seriously for the first time.

"I suppose I should put it bluntly for you, hm? I am the elder half-brother of the man you knew in this so-called Dark Tournament. My name is Jiro Sakyo, and I was born in 1812." He smirked at Kurama's momentarily blank expression, pleased to have shocked the perpetually unruffled thief.

Kurama, meanwhile, was quickly running through the mental math. If he was right (and he was _always_ right) and Sakyo was telling the truth, he was well over 170 years old! Entirely possible if he had actually found the Yu-Su Fountain (which Kurama still doubted), but hardly likely. After all, the Yu-Su Fountain granted eternal youth, but it did not grant any sort of immortal protection. Why hadn't Sakyo been killed by now by some demon aggravated by a human presence in Makai?

"You are lying," he said, finally. "Although your story about the Yu-Su Fountain may explain your perpetual youth, nothing can explain your continued existence. Demons do not suffer the antics of humans for long in their own world. Perhaps the Black Black Club manages to tame them somewhat in the Ningenkai, but they have no reservations about killing in the Makai. You would have been dead long ago."

"I would have," replied Sakyo, smiling smugly, "had I not hired a number of demons as bodyguards and strong-arms. I myself am hopeless when it comes to combat." He lifted his thin arms as if to illustrate his physical shortcomings. "But I am quite good with numbers. I figured out exactly how much it would take to secure the loyalty of my new bodyguards and paid them just that; no more, no less. Demons are so easy to buy off; greed runs in their blood." Kurama bristled, but kept himself under control. After all, he reminded himself, he _was_ rather greedy when it came to most things. Something still didn't fit, though. Where had Sakyo come up with all this money to pay the demons?

"Where did you get all that money? You are far too young to have had a successful business, even in the 1800s." Sakyo shrugged.

"My father was in the opium business. He made more than we could have possibly used, even in our extended lives. He didn't mind me taking some off his hands. I daresay he barely even noticed." Kurama thought back to his knowledge of the opium trade and decided that Sakyo's words had the potential to be true. If his father really had been a powerful drug lord, they would have been exceptionally rich. The amount in today's terms would have been mind-boggling.

"Alright," he said, after chewing the information over for a moment, "assuming I believe you, and I'm still not certain I do; how did you possibly find out about the Makai?" A smile spread across the young human's face, as though he had been waiting for Kurama to ask this very question. He leaned forward in his throne-like chair, his black eyes flashing with unbridled excitement.

"It's quite a story, actually. My elder brother, Taro, was out hunting one day, something he quite enjoyed doing to pass the time. He was after some creature; he wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he wanted to kill it all the same. We found out later that the thing was actually a cat-demon, but I'm getting ahead of myself." He cleared his throat, then continued. "Taro was tracking the sly little thing all over the countryside, but he could never quite catch it. But Taro was not one to give up easily. Every now and then he would catch sight of its tail or ear and know that he was on the right track, but otherwise he was left to his good navigational skills; the creature moved silently, but nearly always in a straight line. Eventually he caught sight of it squeezing through some odd shimmery patch floating in the air ahead of him. He paused, considering his options, then followed the beast through the portal." Sakyo paused for effect, his eyes glittering with the anticipation of what he was about to say.

"When he picked himself up from the ground and got his bearings, he realized that he was nowhere near the place he had been only seconds ago. In fact, he was certain that he was no longer in Japan! He began to explore, keeping a sharp eye for the creature that had led him to this place. Eventually, he saw the dumb thing peek out from behind a bush to see what had become of him. Without thinking, he shot it immediately and landed a good hit on its shoulder. The creature fell and he ran to it to examine it. As I said before, it was a cat-demon. A very _angry_ cat-demon who did not like getting shot at. It plucked the arrow out and leaped at him, but Taro managed to back away enough to shoot it again. This time he shot it through the chest, and the creature fell again, grievously injured. He stalked over to make the killing blow with his hunting knife, but the demon spoke to him in a voice like none he had ever heard before.

"'Don't kill me!' it begged, 'I'll do anything you ask of me, just spare my life!' Taro was intrigued by this animal that could speak and lowered his bow. 'What are you? Where am I?' he demanded. 'You are in the Makai, sir,' the creature responded, 'I am but a humble cat-demon. I can be of use to you if you spare my life!' Taro thought that over and decided that the cat-demon could, in fact, prove useful. He spared its life and instructed it to tell him everything it knew of the Makai and its inhabitants. The cat-demon acquiesced and told my brother all that it could. When Taro hunted that night, he gave the cat-demon some of his food, and a bond was formed between them. When it was healed, the cat-demon took Taro all over the Makai, showing him anything he asked to see and some things he did not. After a time, Taro realized that he had not yet found a way back to the world of the humans. He asked his cat-demon companion how to return, and the cat-demon found him a portal to return to the human world. Unfortunately, the portal led to a place in South America. It was 7 years after he had disappeared when we saw my brother again.

"He came marching in with this cat-demon by his side and told us of the enchanted world he had found on the other side of the 'shining sphere'. He wished to return, he explained, because he saw many opportunities for profit in this world. It was unclaimed and its resources virtually untapped. My father agreed and we all set off with the cat-demon to find a portal to go through. Luckily, one had opened near our estate, and we did not have to waste much time looking. On the other side of the portal, we found a world that surpassed our wildest dreams. Untamed nature everywhere; so much possibility for colonization, and so much market for, well… _everything_!" Sakyo's eyes blanked as he remembered his rapture when he first saw the Makai, and he was silent for nearly a minute before he brought himself back to the present and refocused his eyes on the fox demon standing before him. Kurama took the opportunity to exchange a private glance with Kuronue, who was still kneeling at Sakyo's side like some favored pet. He shot him a look full of unmasked concern and Kuronue returned a look of mixed anger and affection. He was angry Kurama had come to get him, but glad to see his old partner once again.

"My apologies," Sakyo shook himself from his daze and smiled vaguely as he continued his story. "As I was saying, we saw much potential in the world of the demons. After seeing Taro's success with his demonic companion, we decided that we needed our own companions, perhaps even protectors. Since no dying demons were readily available for us to save, we went a different route; bribery. As I said before, greed runs in demons' blood, and it was no difficult task to find some demons that were willing to exchange their loyalty for large monetary sums. With our new protectors, we were able to brave deeper into the Makai without fear. When one of our protectors fell, we simply hired a new one. Everything was so simple, and so very _exciting_ then!" His smile grew wider and Kurama could tell that he was getting to the part that he had been waiting to tell.

"I heard tell of the Yu-Su Fountain one day while I was out gathering new bodyguards. A group of demons were telling tales of a pair of demons named _Kuronue_ and _Kurama_ who were nearby searching for the Fountain." He paused, his eyes sweeping over Kurama, looking for the slightest hint of a reaction to his own name. Kurama kept himself tightly in check, not allowing even the smallest twitch. His face remained passive and unconcerned. Obviously disappointed by the lack of reaction, Sakyo continued his story. "I asked around until I found out the two things I wanted to know: who were Kuronue and Kurama, and what was the Yu-Su Fountain? Kuronue and Kurama, I was informed, were master thieves who were quickly reaching legendary status. They were a force to be reckoned with; if anyone was going to find the Yu-Su Fountain, it was going to be them. That left the question of the Yu-Su Fountain, which was answered by a kind peddler. He explained the story of the Yu-Su Fountain, and how it was supposed to be guarded by-"

"Guarded by the three immortal children whose powers were so fearsome the gods dared not interfere with them," growled Kurama. "I know the stories, Sakyo." Instead of looking offended, Sakyo appeared delighted to have finally broken the youko's silence.

"Very good, Kurama! But I expected nothing less; you did look for the Fountain as well, after all." He deigned not to notice the blood-freezing glare Kurama shot at him for his patronizing tone and continued speaking. "I was intrigued by the peddler's story. I was even going to let him live, but one of my men had taken offense at something he said and killed him before I got the chance to stop him." He looked mildly regretful as he said that, but Kurama knew it was nothing more than an act. "In any case, the seed of curiosity had been planted, and I wanted the Yu-Su Fountain for myself. I gathered a number of new warriors and set off to find it, determined to beat the other pair who was searching for it.

"It took me years upon years of searching, and I nearly lost hope when I heard that even the legendary bandits Kuronue and Kurama had ceased their search, but I persevered. Every day I ventured a little deeper into this world I still knew so little about, and every day I grew more and more discouraged. Finally, after nearly a week of strictly rationed food and water and on the verge of losing my hired help no matter how much money I offered, we stumbled upon a tiny clearing in the midst of the Myou forest. Three little cherubs were waiting for us, their perfect features not demon or human, but downright _celestial_! Glowing pale skin, bright, jewel-like eyes, and perfect, rosy cheeks combined to form the most perfect, beautiful faces in existence. Nothing can compare to the beauty of these children. There were two males and one female, and all three were equally beautiful, equally perfect. They had created a barrier that was unlike any barrier, human or demon, that I have ever felt since. 'You may not drink of the Yu-Su Fountain unless you are worthy,' they told me; and their voices, Kurama, were like the clearest, most beautiful crystal bells." Sakyo closed his eyes as the memory overtook him, his face peaceful as he heard the perfect voices in his head. Kurama shot Kuronue another look, and the bat demon rolled his eyes. Kurama had to contain a snort of laughter; it encouraged him that his lover was well enough to make such a mocking gesture.

"Ah, those voices…" He opened his eyes again and continued with a somewhat reverent look on his face. "I asked them how I could become worthy, but they refused to tell me, saying that I would know if I was truly worthy. I became frustrated, but I refused to leave now that my prize was within sight. Three days later found me still stewing over the answer to the children's question, and my bodyguards were beginning to grow restless. Two of them abandoned me, so I sent two more to destroy them. That left me with only one guard when I finally realized the answer to the puzzle!" Kurama found himself leaning forward slightly in spite of himself, eager to hear the solution that Sakyo had come up with to the issue of worthiness. How could human scum like him be worthy of such a gift?! He stiffened as laughter floated across the room at him and he looked up from his thoughts to see Sakyo laughing childishly at him from his obnoxious chair.

"What?!" he snapped, irritated at the sudden jauntiness of the human in front of him. "What are you laughing at?!" His energy flared slightly as his emotions wavered uncharacteristically out of hand.

"Why, at _you_, of course! You're so eager to hear my secret, and you're never going to learn it! Why would I tell you, a rival, how to access the only thing that gives me an edge over you?"

"You have no edge over me," growled Kurama, emotions once again under control.

"Wrong!" replied Sakyo, cheerfully. "You will die someday, Kurama. I will not. Therefore, even if I cannot kill you or outthink you, I can still rest assured that I will outlive you. You will die and I will live. I consider that an impressive edge, wouldn't you?" The kitsune gave no response, but Sakyo continued as though he had. "I'm glad you see it my way. Now, to continue my story…" He cleared his throat theatrically and Kurama grumbled under his breath about idiotic humans. Sakyo appeared not to have heard. "After I figured out exactly what made me worthy, the beautiful children let me inside their barrier to drink from the fountain. The stories have not exaggerated about their power, though. When my guard tried to follow me inside, he simply ceased to exist. I won't pretend to know what happened to him or what other kinds of powers the children have, but the demonstration they gave me was enough to earn my eternal respect for them. But I digress… I drank, at last, from the Yu-Su Fountain, and the water was the cleanest, purest, sweetest water I have ever tasted in my life! After one drink, the children commanded me to leave, and I did as they instructed, not wanting to cross anyone with their kind of power. When I emerged from the barrier, my guards were waiting for me. They demanded to know what had happened, but I refused to tell them. It took a large sum of money to make them forget about the Fountain, but eventually I paid them enough to stop their questions and keep their loyalty. But, just in case, I hired new guards and had the old ones killed as soon as we reached a town.

"When I returned to our Makian home, I found the place in complete disarray. My brother had been killed, I was told, and my father had returned to the human world for a while. I was shocked and also returned to the human world to find my father doting upon a 13 year old boy I didn't know. He was introduced to me as Haru, my younger brother. I was stunned and forgot all about my recent immortality for a time. When I finally remembered, I told my father immediately and we set off to find the Yu-Su Fountain again, this time with my little brother, Haru, in tow. It took us some time to find, but it went faster than it had the first time because I knew what I was looking for. We found it within a year, and my father and brother both proved their worth to be let inside and gain immortality as well. When they emerged, I was shocked by their appearances. My father appeared to be no more than 30 at the most, and my little brother, who had been but 14 years old when he went in, had aged to an impressive 25. They explained what the beautiful children had told them; that the Yu-Su Fountain returned a person to the age at which they were in their peak physical condition. I had also been changed, they explained, but the change had been so slight in me that I had not noticed it. I was astounded, and once again in awe of the Fountain's power. We left immediately and have never since returned, not wanting to anger the beautiful children.

"Haru proved to be a feisty lad. Despite his body's physical aging, his mind had remained where it was when he was 14. He went off frequently on stupid, adolescent adventures and usually returned worse for wear. Thankfully, he healed quickly, but that only gave him more reason to continue his reckless exploits. Before his 19th chronological birthday, he had been killed by an angry demon lord. My father was heartbroken and made up his mind to return to the Ningenkai and avoid the dangers of the Makai. He begged me to return with him, but I refused; I was in the process of building a shadow empire for myself and had dreams of undermining the Makian Lords with my shadow armies. Realizing that I could not be swayed, he left without me and lived in the shadows of the Ningenkai as the years passed without ever touching him.

"Many years later, I received word that my father had found a new wife (my mother was LONG since dead) and that they were expecting a child. Unfortunately, it was a pivotal time for me and I couldn't get away for a long while to go and see my new sibling. When I finally returned, the Ningenkai was nothing like I had left it. I was intrigued by the new world and struggled to grasp all of the new concepts, like television and liquid soap. I was so dazzled by all of the new inventions that I completely forgot about going home until I happened upon my father in the street one day. I asked him what my new sibling was like and when he wanted me to come and meet him. My father told me that I was not to meet him, and that he did not want him to drink from the Yu-Su Fountain. The boy was unstable, he informed me, and he would most likely kill us both as soon as he got the chance. The poor fool had no idea how right he was. I agreed not to contact my newest brother and returned to Makai without ever meeting him. After a time, however, I grew curious about what he was up to and sent some of my spies to go and watch him for me. They returned with news of my father's death at the hands of my youngest sibling and confirmed reports of his mental instability. Apparently he did some sort of experiments on animals, and I heard later that he was a key member of the Black Black Club. I already knew of this club, which sold high-priced demonic entertainment to rich humans. Actually, although my brother didn't know it, I had a hand in providing weak demons for the club to sell.

"So I kept track of my brother through my spies, who reported to me monthly about his activities. Father was right; he did not deserve eternal life. He was literally quite insane, what with his plans to allow demons permanent access into the human world. You see, _he_ never figured out how to get through the naturally occurring distortions in the Kakai. Thus, he had heard about the Makai, but he had never seen it. Someone lacking the ingenuity to find a place that was so easy to find did not merit eternal life. And now I find myself back at your original question; why I did not seek you out when you appeared in the Dark Tournament." He paused, glancing down at Kuronue and running a hand through the youkai's silky raven locks. Kuronue tensed, his jaw locking in place as he was caressed. Obviously he did not appreciate the attention.

"For one thing, Kuronue assured me endlessly that the red-headed boy in the tournament could not possibly be the Youko Kurama he had known. He guaranteed me that it was an imposter… didn't you, Kuronue?" The bat demon made no reply, and his lack of response seemed to anger Sakyo. The gentle hand in Kuronue's hair constricted suddenly and the young human wrenched Kuronue's head back to look directly up at him. Kurama hissed and started forward, but the door behind him sprang open and a number of bulky demons poured in, moving to block him. Kurama tensed, one hand drifting towards his hair as he sized up his opponents.

"Careful, Kurama. One more step and I slit his pretty little throat." Kurama's eyes jerked up to see Sakyo holding a small silver dagger to Kuronue's pale throat, the point of it already embedded in the soft skin. Kuronue whimpered, a sound that Kurama had rarely, if ever, heard from him before, and Kurama paused, glancing around at the demons surrounding him, then back up at Sakyo. He hesitated, then took a step back, his hand dropping back down to his side. Sakyo chuckled, his eyes never leaving Kurama's, and removed the dagger with a little jerk that left a line of blood on Kuronue's neck. Kurama couldn't stop the growl that rumbled from his chest, but he stayed put. Sakyo released Kuronue's hair and petted him absently, returning to his story. Kuronue sank back down by the chair, not meeting Kurama's eyes.

"Where was I? Oh yes, the Dark Tournament… Kuronue assured me that it wasn't the real you, but obviously he was wrong. He was punished, of course." He said that as though it were an unnecessary statement. "So I began following your progress in the Dark Tournament and debating the best way to capture you. Except… I wanted the Mirror you stole from me." His focus drifted to the Mirror of Darkness, where it lay nestled in Kurama's arm, for the first time, and a hungry gleam shone in his eyes. "I wanted it _badly_… so badly that I couldn't justify capturing you without it. And besides, your red-headed human form doesn't hold a candle to your Youko form. Not even one tenth as pretty." He smiled at Kurama, as though that vague compliment would make amends for the previous incident. Kurama bared his teeth and said nothing, so Sakyo continued.

"So I waited for the opportune time. I must admit, I lost track of you for a while. Every once in a while you and your team would show up on my radar and I would track you for a few months before losing track of you again. You always seemed to show up in the most unexpected places! But I digress… After you finally seemed to stay in one place for a while, I caught word of you and sent my messenger to fetch you. And so… here we are!" He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, apparently exhausted from his long story. For a long minute, Kurama was silent. Sakyo seemed to be… telling the truth. And his story didn't have any obvious flaws. Impossible though it seemed, Kurama was on the verge of believing all that he had just been told.

"Well," he said, finally, "that was certainly an entertaining story, but I suppose it really has nothing to do with why I am here. Shall we move on to business?" A smile spread across Sakyo's lips and he sat back up with an exaggerated effort.

"Yes, business…" he echoed, his eyes drifting back to the Mirror. He shook his head, snapping out of some kind of daze quite suddenly, and returned his eyes to Kurama. "Oh, but certainly you must be tired. Business can wait; you've had a long journey." Kurama opened his mouth to protest (he wanted to be DONE with this place!), but Sakyo spoke right over him. "Kuronue will show you to your rooms and provide you with whatever you need." He gave the bat demon a pat on the back and Kuronue unfolded gracefully from his crouch to reach his full, impressive height. Kurama's words of protest were lost as he stared at the partner he had thought was dead for so long. He barely noticed the smirk fixed upon Sakyo's face as Kuronue walked slowly towards him, looking just as beautiful as he always had.

Placing a hand lightly on his elbow, Kuronue turned the fox demon towards the door (away from the semi-circle of bulky guard-demons) and began moving him towards it. Kurama looked over at him eagerly, but Kuronue did not speak or even glance at him until they were in the hallway.

"Until tomorrow, then, Kurama!" called Sakyo, but the sound barely registered in Kurama's mind, so intent was he upon Kuronue's angular face. The bat demon did not look at him until the doors clicked quietly shut; then he turned, scowling, to face his lover.

"You should not have come, Kurama."

--

Weeeellll?? Did you looooove it? Why am I using so many vooooowels? XP Haha, I hope you all caught the bit about liquid soap (big inside joke among my friends, but funny to everyone else anyway!). I know, I know, it was really freakin long, but I did the best I could! Don't abandon me! I'll do better next time!! Yes, I left you with an evil cliffy (dun dun DUN!!), but that will only encourage me to update faster because I already have some of the next chapter written (I never end my writing with a cliffy, but I will cut off somewhere I think makes a nice abrupt ending ;P). Reviews keep me alive!! Don't be afraid to critique me or ask questions!! Luv ya'll bunches!

Oh, for all of those who were going to comment, I do realize that Sakyo may have been the _first_ name of the character in the show, but it had been changed to a last name. The alternate universe strikes again!! Haha!!

Princess Seki


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Yay, another chapter done! Thanks a million to all my reviewers (I don't remember to do that often enough)! You guys keep me going; other wise this story would have been done for a LONG time ago! Um... about this chapter... It's a little bit depressing, but I think it turned out alright. In response to general reviewer confusion, the Yu-Su Fountain grants eternal life, not immortality (and yes, there is a difference). Sakyo will live forever at the age at which he was strongest, but he can still be killed. His body is a frail as it always was; a stray bullet (or anything, really) would kill him just as quickly now as it would have before he drank from the Fountain. Ok, that's all cleared up. Just one more thing before I let you read! Some of you may not like Kuronue's personality or attitude, but I refuse to change it. I did what I thought was appropriate after such a long captivity, but feel free to berate me if you hate it. After all, it's a free country... Enjoy, my loves!

Warnings: Uh... wow... none again. I bet there'll be some in the next chapter, though... ;)

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Kurama blinked, staring blankly at the man for whom he'd gone through all the trouble of the past week. He had _called_ him here, why was he so upset that Kurama had answered the summons?

"What are you talking about? You _called_ me here with those terrible memories!" Kuronue scowled even more deeply, if that was possible, and began walking, keeping Kurama beside him with a lightly guiding hand on his elbow.

"No, fool, I was trying to warn you to stay away with those memories! I knew that Sakyo was going to be seeking you out, so I wanted to give you a warning not to come after me." He glared at Kurama, lavender eyes burning. "Did you not understand the part about me being _dead_ to you?!" Kurama stopped walking, ignoring the increased pressure from Kuronue, and stared dead into the violet eyes he had missed for so long.

"I would never abandon you like that… what kind of man do you think I am?"

"Apparently not an intelligent one…" muttered Kuronue, sourly. He looked up as Kurama pulled himself out of Kuronue's grasp. The fox's golden eyes were full of pain and rejection; Kuronue softened in spite of himself. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, of course…" The tiniest of smiles broke across Kurama's face, and he allowed Kuronue to pull him along once more. He didn't notice where they were going; only looking away from Kuronue when the bat demon opened a door and pulled him inside.

The room he had been led into was certainly grand, and much better furnished than Sakyo's overdone meeting room. High, sweeping ceilings arched over them, adorned with gorgeous renaissance-style paintings. Dark wood paneled the walls, matching perfectly with the wood of the dresser, bed, and bureau. A comfortable-looking red leather sofa sat across the room from the bed, its leather obviously freshly oiled and gleaming. Red silks had been hung from the four-poster bed, blending nicely with the maroon comforter and matching throw pillows. The same red silk had been made into light curtains that hung at every arching window, drawn half-shut against the pale moonlight that shone in. But, after a quick glance around, Kurama returned his gaze to the most breathtaking thing in the room by far: Kuronue.

And he certainly was breathtaking, especially in the silvery light of the moon. Kuronue's already pale skin nearly glowed in the weak light, and his shiny black hair reflected a sheen about him that almost made him glow. The bold lavender eyes that Kurama had always loved so much were fixed, unseeing, on the floor, ebony brows knitted in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" murmured Kurama, struck by the hopelessness of Kuronue's features. The bat's entire posture suggested defeat.

"I… didn't want you to come, but I suppose I should have expected that you would." Kuronue sighed, his eyes flicking up to meet Kurama's. "Whatever you do, you must not accept his proposal tomorrow."

"His proposal?"

"His business proposal. He will bargain with you, and his bargaining chip will be _me_, but you must not give in to his demands." Kuronue's voice was sharp, his eyes glaring intensely into his lover's. "He cannot be allowed to have the Mirror of Darkness." Kurama frowned; he didn't want to think about business right now.

"I hardly see how that's relevant, Kuronue, it's not like he can use it without sacrificing his own life. I seriously doubt that even his highest paid bodyguards will be willing to sacrifice their own lives to grant him a wish with the thing." Kuronue's eyes darkened.

"Yes they will, Kurama. Sakyo has brainwashed them; they'll do anything he asks of them. It's all because of that damned Yori and her powers!"

"Yori?" The bat demon sighed again and crossed his arms.

"You don't think I'm the only pet Sakyo keeps, do you? He has a healthy sexual appetite for men _and_ women. Yori was a little prize he found when he ransacked a rival's base. I'm not exactly sure _what_ she does, but I've seen the results, and they aren't pretty. Mindless drones wandering aimlessly around until Sakyo gives them an order. That order becomes their entire existence, and they'll do anything to accomplish it; even die for him." Kurama's eyes narrowed; he saw the danger Yori's powers presented when the Mirror was in Sakyo's possession. An army of mindless slaves eagerly sacrificing themselves to gain Sakyo whatever whim he desired…

"Why doesn't Yori simply use her powers on Sakyo and be done with it all?" Kuronue shook his head, his eyes narrowing bitterly.

"Dumb little bitch is in _love_ with him. She obsessed; she lets him do whatever he wants, and she takes his orders happily whenever he chooses to give them. Her absolute devotion to him is mind-boggling; especially considering how much he abuses her…" He trailed off, lip curled in disgust. Now it was Kurama who sighed, glancing at the Mirror, still tucked in the crook of his arm. Silence was thick between the two thieves as they considered the current situation.

"I won't leave you here," murmured Kurama, finally, breaking the mounting tension.

"I won't let you give him the Mirror," growled Kuronue, his eyes flashing up to meet his lover's. "I'm not important enough for this."

"Very well," said Kurama, holding up a hand to forestall any arguments from Kuronue. The bat stared blankly for a moment before he remembered to shut his mouth. He had expected a long, drawn-out argument; the fox was famous for those. "I won't bargain with the Mirror. I'll bargain with myself." Kuronue's mouth fell open again, then snapped shut into a growl.

"No, Kurama, I won't let you do that either."

"I'm afraid that's not your decision, Kuronue. What I choose to do with my life is my own choice, no one else's. I can tell from the memories you sent me that Sakyo desires me; I will offer myself in exchange for your freedom. You will take the Mirror with you and find a way into the Ningenkai. There you will find a boy by the name of-"

"No, Kurama, no! This is foolishness!" Kuronue interrupted, his voice fierce and his expression feral. "You don't know what it's like here! I won't let you suffer what I've suffered. I won't-!" He cut off suddenly as Kurama pulled him into a passionate kiss both to calm and silence him. Kuronue went limp in his arms, non-responsive to the kiss. Startled, Kurama opened his eyes and stared into the deadened lavender eyes he remembered so well… they were alien to him. He pulled back, concerned.

"Kuronue…? What is it? What did I do?" Kuronue shook his head, snapping out of his limp, submissive posture and sighing heavily. He turned away from his kitsune lover and stared out the window, his shoulders hunched.

"It's not you… I'm sorry… You did nothing wrong." There was a long pause. Finally, he turned back to Kurama, his face agonized. "Every time someone touches me, it's like _him_ touching me. I…" He trailed off, hanging his head. Kurama was by his side in a flash, carefully slipping an arm around his waist and guiding him over to the bed to sit. Kuronue buried his face in his hands. "I'm not the same, Kurama; I'm not the man you knew. He's long dead."

"He's not," murmured Kurama, quietly. He was playing with the bat's long black hair, twisting the silky strands through his fingers. He was unused to the hair being down out of its usual ponytail. "You're still here, love."

"No, I'm not. You don't understand…"

"Then who am I speaking to, if not my Kuronue?" The kitsune's voice was playful, trying to cheer his bat up.

"The domesticated version." Kurama was struck by the sadness in his lover's voice. He decided to attempt a stab at humor.

"Well, you were always a pretty good cook…" He knew as soon as Kuronue looked up, his eyes tortured, that he had said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, love, that was in poor taste." Kuronue said nothing, dropping his face back into his hands and allowing his sheet of ebony hair to fall forward and hide him from view. Gently, Kurama swept the hair back behind the bat demon's shoulders and planted a soft kiss on the back of his neck. The thief flinched away from the contact, turning so that his back was to Kurama. The kitsune heard a quiet sob and watched as a tremor rocked his friend's body. It was unsettling to watch Kuronue cry, but Kurama was unsure what to do to help him. Obviously he didn't want to be touched, and he didn't seem very talkative right now…

So Kurama waited. He watched, paralyzed by a fear of upsetting his love further, as Kuronue's sobs shook his body, and listened as he pierced the air with heart-breaking moans. Eventually, however, the shudders ceased and the moans dwindled into deep, calming gasps. Kuronue's crying spell was over. Relieved, Kurama watched as Kuronue wiped his face with his hands and took another steadying breath before he turned to face him. The only sign that he had been crying was the slight puffiness to his bloodshot eyes. He stared at Kurama for a moment, and Kurama waited, impassive, for Kuronue to speak.

"I won't let him have you, Kurama. I won't let him ruin you." Kuronue's voice was thick with emotion.

"No one's going to ruin me, love," murmured Kurama, soothingly. "I won't be here long enough for them to do that." Kuronue's eyes widened with some unidentifiable emotion.

"You-you're not staying? You're going home?" Was that fear or relief in his voice?

"I'm only staying long enough to get this taken care of; then I'll be along to join you at home." The emotion in Kuronue's eyes faded as they narrowed into a glare.

"No, I won't let you do that."

"You misunderstand, Kuronue. I have a plan; it will work." Kuronue remained stone-faced, waiting for an explanation. "I'm sure you haven't been keeping up with my life this past number of years, but-"

"Your team can't help you here." The bat's voice was flat, angry. "And even if they could, they wouldn't. We're _bandits_, remember, Kurama?" The fox shook his head.

"You don't know them like I do. Yusuke will come if I ask him to, nevermind that we're criminals. He tends to save people first and ask questions later."

"It won't work."

"You don't know that." The two youkai glared at each other for a moment before Kuronue sighed and let his gaze drop. "Kuronue," said Kurama, a pleading undertone in his voice now, "Yusuke already offered to help me with this, but I didn't want to lead him blindly into a situation I knew nothing about. Kuwabara will help if Yusuke does, and Hiei is always up for a good battle." Kuronue said nothing, his face hard as he considered what Kurama was saying.

"Perhaps it will work…" he said, slowly, and Kurama's hopes soared, "but I won't let you be the one to stay here. Go get your team and come back for me."

"No," said Kurama, simply. "I won't leave you here any longer. I'll stay and _you_ go get my team. Just give them the Mirror and explain the situation. You might not even have to explain; Hiei may just lift an explanation straight from your thoughts. Regardless, they'll follow you to come and get me." He saw the doubt flickering in Kuronue's eyes. "They're good, Kuronue. Extremely good. I wouldn't want to have to face them." Kuronue hesitated, then shook his head again.

"No, I don't want this man to touch you." His voice softened. "Especially not after what happened in your past…" Kurama flinched, angry that Kuronue would bring up his past and even angrier that he held it against him like that.

"It's not the same, I'll be fine." Kurama's teeth were gritted, and he had to work hard to keep his voice calm.

"It _is_ the same. Exactly the same. And just like before, you'll be helpless." Kurama bristled and stood suddenly. He was across the room in a flash as he seethed, his hands balling into fists. He didn't want to snap at Kuronue; it certainly wouldn't help the situation, but dammit, the man was pushing it! He had warned him that he never wanted to speak of his time in captivity, and Kuronue had agreed, but here he was bringing it up again! Glowering at the wall, he tried to calm himself down. Behind him, he felt Kuronue's eyes watching him.

"Kuronue," he said, slowly, afraid of getting too angry, "I told you I didn't want to remember what happened to me before you found me. Why are you doing this?" His voice betrayed him at the end, cracking as he strove to control it.

"Because it's not healthy to block out memories like that. I think you did it because you couldn't deal with the pain it presented, and I need you to understand that surrendering yourself to Sakyo will only open up old wounds. You cannot handle it, Kurama, and I'm not about to let you try." Kurama spun angrily to face his partner again only to find himself face to face with him. He hadn't even heard him move…

"You can't stop me from doing this!" Kurama was still seething. "I came here to get you out and I'm not leaving until I have!"

"Please, Kurama…" Kuronue's gorgeous face was only inches from his silver-haired lover's. Vaguely, Kurama registered that Kuronue was charming him into submission, but for the life of him he couldn't see how that was a problem. "Leave and get your team… for me…"

"I-I…" Kurama faltered, unsure of what he had been about to say. The perfect face moved a bit closer, Kuronue's lips brushing Kurama's. "I can't…" And just like that the moment was broken. Kuronue pulled away, frustrated, and stalked back over to the bed. Kurama followed him, all anger gone.

"You're being foolish." Kurama frowned.

"I could say the same about you. He can't break me, Kuronue."

"Yes he can!" Now it was Kuronue who was frowning. "You don't get it; he uses the exact same spell your other captors used!" Kurama's stomach dropped. "You can't handle it, I know you can't!"

"He uses the Sureibu Sutei?" His voice was quiet, almost fearful.

"Yes!" Kuronue paused, his features softening as he looked into Kurama's frightened eyes. "I won't put you through that hell, love… Not after it nearly destroyed you last time…" Kurama said nothing, his body still frozen as he digested the information. The Sureibu Suitei was something that had been used on him when he was younger; something he hadn't been able to escape from on his own. Kuronue knew that; knew how much the spell frightened him…

Dimly, Kurama was aware of Kuronue slipping off his shoes and laying him back onto the soft bed that was somehow unmade now… The fluffy red comforter was draped over him and a red-cased pillow nestled beneath his head. Golden eyes closed of their own accord, exhaustion washing over the kitsune like a wave from the ocean. It really had been a long night… But… something was missing.

Tired golden eyes wrenched themselves open again and swept the room for the missing component; Kuronue. Kurama found him sitting across the room on the red leather sofa, his knees pulled into his chest and his face contemplative. The kitsune studied him for a moment before the bat noticed and turned, giving his lover his full attention.

"Sleep, Kurama."

"Aren't you coming to bed?" He pulled back part of the comforter and patted the bed enticingly. Kuronue hesitated.

"I-I shouldn't…"

"_Please,_ Kuronue?" With a sigh, Kuronue unfolded from the couch and went to join his lover in bed. As soon as he lay down, Kurama pressed himself to him, not noticing the bat's flinch or slight intake of breath. In fact, he didn't notice anything; he was already fast asleep.

-

Kuronue could not sleep; he had far too much on his mind. And, though he would never tell Kurama, he was uncomfortable sleeping with someone pressed against him like that; an aversion developed after decades of abuse. He continually reminded himself that it was Kurama beside him, not one of his various buyers or even Sakyo himself. _It's Kurama. He loves me; he would never hurt me._ The uneasiness faded, but did not diminish completely. With a sigh, Kuronue resigned himself to the slightly uneasy feeling and went back to his contemplation of the day's events.

Sakyo wanted the Mirror, it was true, but he also wanted Kurama… badly. So badly, in fact, that he was most likely more than willing to give Kuronue up to have him. After all; Kuronue was old news. But Kurama… what a catch. The worst part was that Kurama was willing to give himself up! He was ready to hand himself over to Sakyo all for the sake of Kuronue's freedom; something Kuronue could not allow. He sighed again, shifting slightly against the warm body pressed to his, and thought about what he had said only a little while earlier. It was true, Sakyo _did_ use the Sureibu Sutei on the pets he actually wanted to make use of (besides Yori, of course), but it had been a cruel thing to bring up to Kurama so callously.

The poor boy had been a cowering mess when Kuronue found him; barely 13 years old and already a much-abused pleasure slave. Intrigued by the pretty youko, Kuronue had stolen into his room in the dead of night and asked him why he was there. As soon as the words _Sureibu Sutei_ passed his lips, Kuronue had become inexplicably enraged; enraged by the thought of this boy being bound by that curse, and enraged by the thought of _how_ he'd been bonded. He'd felt an unfathomable sense of possession when he'd looked at the pretty little creature in his simple white silks, and he had wanted to break him free that very night, but the boy's master was away at the time.

Undeterred, Kuronue had returned the next night, and the next, but the master was still away. After that, he'd been forced to flee and leave the pitiful fox behind. When he found him again, the pretty little boy had grown into a stunning 16 year old young man; still as meek and docile as before. This time, however, his master was at home. Kuronue had enjoyed pinning the man as the timid pleasure slave broke the bond that had been forced upon him and fled with the notorious bandit into the night. It took him years to recover from the trauma he had been put through, and even after he regained his confidence, he still cried out nightly as his nightmares made him relive his childhood hell.

Kuronue shuddered and felt Kurama press himself a bit further into his chest. Had he woken him? A quick glance told him that the fox still slept soundly, his breathing deep and regular. Satisfied, the bat allowed his thoughts to drift back to their previous train. He had always imagined what Kurama must have gone through, but now he had _experienced_ the stuff the kitsune's nightmares were made of. It was a wonder the boy had kept his sanity, although Kuronue was fairly certain part of that was because Kurama had locked the memories away and refused to even acknowledge them. If someone asked him about his past, he simply told the person that he was very old and memories of his childhood were hazy. Well… he had used to do that. Now, Kuronue was sure, he almost certainly recounted his human childhood with the mother he had a reputation for being so fond of.

And lastly, the Sureibu Sutei… Kuronue hand crept, unbidden, up to press lightly to the scarred bite mark on his neck. Sakyo had actually bound him the first night he had him; it had happened later, in the part of the memory he hadn't shown Kurama. It had been unnerving, but Kuronue had eventually figured out what the limitations of the spell were, and how to exploit them to his full advantage. The Sureibu Sutei bound the body, but not the mind. Sakyo could command him to do anything, physically, but he could not control his thoughts or intentions. Thus, orders such as "tell me where Kurama is" were useless. Sakyo had _not_ been happy when he found that particular flaw in his plan. But on the other hand, the spell was worse than the strongest bindings when it came to physical things. Sakyo had but to order Kuronue to lie perfectly still and Kuronue was frozen until he was released. But there were loopholes to that, too. If Kuronue interpreted an order as a suggestion, he did not have to follow it; perhaps the reason Sakyo added "that's an order" to the end of most of his orders.

Kuronue yawned, finding himself surprisingly tired despite his racing thoughts. Perhaps a little sleep wasn't altogether uncalled for… He closed his lavender eyes at last, surprisingly comfortable against Kurama's body (although still not totally at ease), and allowed himself to drift into a light sleep.

--

Alright, so it got a bit angsty, but I like it! I hope you all did, too. You know what I want, so give me reviews!! And don't be afraid to ask questions! As long as it doesn't spoil the plot, I'd be happy to answer them! As for the idea of the Sureibu Sutei, I borrowed it from my other fic, _Dragon's Kiss_ (which you should also read! lol). I'll make a more detailed description of it later if it actually happens to one of my characters again (which I'm not confirming or denying!), but if you're desperate to see it performed right now, it happens in chapter 6 of that fic. I warn you in advance, though, it's graphic!

I'm thinking of writing a companion fic to this story that explains Kurama's past in captivity... let me know what you guys think.

I made reference to ages in this fic (always a bad idea)... Because I didn't feel like doing the math and figuring out how many years Kurama would have had to live to be the equivalent of 13 (or 16, for that matter), I just put 13. Don't get me wrong, he was chronologically far older than 13, but he had the appearance, mannerisms, and mindset of a 13 year old. Kuronue is older than Kurama (deal with it), but he was probably only about 20 or so the first time he met him (again, not chronologically). Is this making sense to anyone? Maybe I shouldn't try to explain myself at 1 am anymore...

Um... REVIEW!! Much love to you all!

Princess Seki


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, wow, this took a LONG time for me to post, huh? I feel really bad about that! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! Wierdest thing, I had part of it typed up, then I quit writing to focus on school and stuff and I completely forgot where I was going with the part I had typed up... So, of course, I had to start again (which was ANNOYING, to say the least). But, after much writing and re-writing, I present to you chapter 8! You may not like Kuronue's personality... get over it. You also may not like at least one of my characters... too bad. Ok, on with the story!

Warnings: Wow... none. Sorry guys, but it just wasn't appropriate to work anything that would require a warning into this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH. Don't sue, I'm in college... All you'd get would be a box of stale mac 'n cheese...

_--_

_Damn him to the deepest level of hell for dragging me out here on this half-assed wild goose chase!_ Hiei was scowling as he waited impatiently for the guard to make his round and disappear past the corner of the building. The fool was too preoccupied with making himself look important to actually take notice of anything that was going on around him. He certainly wasn't bothering to feel around for energy signals; though Hiei's power was masked, it would have been easy to find him if one were searching for him. Shaking his head disgustedly, Hiei pulled himself from his thoughts and checked on the guard's progress. As it turned out, he had found a reflective surface and was posing stupidly before it. Eye twitching, Hiei worked to stop himself from destroying the idiot with one well-placed attack. The possibilities were just so appealing…

Thankfully, the guard moved on before Hiei's self-control reached its limit, granting Hiei the opportunity he needed to dash from his hiding place to the well-hidden hole in the wall he'd been scouting since the night before. It was a tiny hole, but it certainly had potential. Now to get through it… One big blast of hellfire ought to do it, but that would alert the entire compound… not to mention anyone within about 50 miles of the compound. Hiei had made it a point to stay unnoticed up 'til now, and it would all be for naught if he allowed himself to take the easy way out. He might as well just march right through the front doors if he was going to use hellfire! With a long-suffering sigh, Hiei began slowly chipping away at the damaged wall with powerful physical strikes; it was going to be a _long_ day…

-

Kuronue's eyes fluttered as consciousness slowly returned to him. He began to stretch, but froze as he felt an arm around his waist constrict slightly. Panic shot through him instinctively and his body went automatically limp as he waited for the hellish fondling and groping to begin. But it never began.

"Good morning, love." That was Kurama's voice… Kuronue twisted and ended up face to face with the silver-haired kitsune of his past; the cocky smirk he knew so well firmly in place on those tantalizing lips. It hadn't been a dream; Kurama really _had_ come to rescue him… the damned fool.

"Kurama…" The fox continued on as though Kuronue had not spoken.

"You sleep quite late, Kuronue. Someone has already been and gone with my breakfast and you have been summoned twice by Sakyo." He felt Kuronue's body spasm slightly at the mention of Sakyo's name. "I told the messengers to tell him that you were otherwise occupied," he murmured. His hand slipped up under Kuronue's shirt, his fingers drifting lightly over the bat's toned abdominals. Kurama bent his head to kiss his lover, but Kuronue turned away at the last second and Kurama's lips brushed against his cheek instead. Obviously the kitsune was over the traumatic events of the night before. Not as much could be said for the bat…

Kuronue tensed suddenly as the fox's wandering fingers moved themselves lower, ghosting over Kuronue's hyper-sensitive inner thigh with the practiced ease only a lover could develop. The bat gasped, rolling away from the warm body behind him and curling into a ball as he fought against the tears that had sprung up so suddenly. _It's Kurama, he loves me! Why do I react this way? Damn Sakyo for ruining me like this!_

"Kuronue?" The sultry seductiveness had disappeared from the kitsune's voice; replaced by anxious concern. "I'm so sorry… did I hurt you?"

"No," Kuronue managed to choke out, "I'm fine… just fine!" Even he couldn't bring himself to believe his tone. Kurama wasn't fooled.

"Obviously I did something to trigger this panic attack. Please, Kuronue, I want you to trust me. What did I do?"

"N-Nothing, I'm fine!" With a great effort, Kuronue forced himself to uncurl from his protective ball and, after taking a moment to control his breathing and facial expression, turned back to face Kurama. "I'm fine, just an overreaction on my part." Kurama's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he studied his partner's face intensely. Kuronue smiled, hoping to put him at ease, and pressed his body to the fox's warm body once more. Both thieves were dressed only in light silks, and the contours of their finely toned bodies were easy to detect through the thin fabric. Kurama smiled despite himself, one hand moving to run tenderly through the bat's silky raven locks.

"Don't scare me like that… You have to tell me when I do something wrong, alright? I don't want to hurt you…"

"You won't hurt me, Kurama." The lavender eyes were warm, loving as they gazed into Kurama's. "You're the one person who never has…"

"And never will," said Kurama, firmly. "You have to trust me, ok?" His golden eyes were loving… and determined. Kuronue felt his heart clench painfully; he knew that look.

"Kurama, I'm still not going to let you offer yourself to him."

"Kuronue-" But Kurama didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as a knock sounded from the door across the room. Sighing, the youko untangled himself from the sheets and went to answer the door. Waiting on the other side was none other than the annoying snake demon from the previous day. Kurama scowled down at him impatiently.

"Yes?"

"Master Sakyo called away on business… He say your business must wait until tomorrow. He apologize for inconvenience and say his servants at your disposal. He say Kuronue know how to call for anything you need." The ugly little messenger peered past the fox into the room suddenly, his beady eyes fixing on Kuronue. "And Master Sakyo say be good, Kuronue! He-" He cut off with a choking gag as Kurama slammed a foot down on the creatures neck.

"Don't speak to him that way! You will show Kuronue the proper respect or you forfeit your life, are we clear?" The snake struggled madly, then quickly nodded, his eyes fixed on the enraged fox who had him pinned. Slowly, Kurama removed his foot, his golden eyes narrowed to angry slits. "I've received your master's message and have no further use for you. Get out of my sight." The snake was still, eyes riveted on the kitsune who stood before him; then, with a frustrated hiss, he turned and slithered away. Kurama watched until he was out of sight, then turned back to Kuronue.

"I'm sorry about that. Would you like me to track him down and kill him? It would be my pleasure…" The fox's lip curled maliciously as he made as if to turn and hunt the ugly messenger down.

"No, Kurama, it's fine. He was probably ordered to send me that message." Kuronue was standing now, brushing his hair behind his shoulders with a sigh. He rustled his wings gently, stretching them, then started towards the door Kurama still held open. "I should probably go and see that the kitchen gets started with your lunch. What would you like?" Kurama frowned, grabbing the bat's arm as he passed back and pulling him back.

"Where do you think you're going? You're not some slave. It's not your job to go and prepare my food." Kuronue raised one brow incredulously.

"No, Kurama, that's exactly what I _am_. When I am not being kept as a bedwarmer, I DO have regular chores to attend to. Now, do you want your lunch or not?" Kurama was still frowning angrily.

"No, I can take care of myself. It's not your job to wait on me hand and foot. You're my _partner_, not my slave." Kuronue sighed; Kurama was making a bigger deal out of this than he would have imagined.

"Honestly, Kurama, it's fine. I'll just-" He cut off abruptly, staring past Kurama with the beginnings of some strange emotion tightening his eyes. Kurama followed his gaze and saw a young woman standing about 10 feet from them. She was small and slim with pure white skin. As she moved, she appeared to shimmer; her skin seemed to reflect the light oddly. Pale pink hair hung straight and smooth to the middle of her back, and a matching tail swished gently behind her. Large black eyes stood out, disconcertingly bold on her pale, heart-shaped face. She was staring at the pair of thieves, her head cocked curiously to one side. "Hello, Yori…"

"Hello, Kuronue." Her voice was high and feminine, almost child-like in quality. "This must be Kurama." She smiled suddenly, but the expression didn't touch her eyes, which remained curiously blank. Kuronue stiffened beside Kurama, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yes, this is Kurama. Do you know where Sakyo went so suddenly?"

"_Master_ Sakyo was called away on urgent business," she replied, emphasizing the word _master_. "He instructed me to make sure his guest was comfortable while he was away. Have you gotten him his lunch yet?"

"I was just headed to the kitchen to get it started, but I really don't think he's hungry." Kuronue's voice was stiff, formal, and full of barely-concealed distaste. Kurama frowned, unsure of the exchange that was happening between Kuronue and Yori. Kuronue had been dead-set on going and getting him lunch a moment ago, yet now he was acting as though he didn't trust Yori alone with Kurama. As if Kurama couldn't defend himself against someone as small and weak as Yori!

"I think you're being rude to Master Sakyo's guest. You should go and get him his lunch." Kuronue's already tensed back stiffened further; when had he moved in front of Kurama? The fox hadn't even noticed…

"Enough of this," interrupted Kurama, stepping around Kuronue. "I'm not hungry and Kuronue is not being rude. Now, did you need something or are you just here to start a fight with Kuronue?"

"I am merely here to make sure you are comfortable, Lord Kurama." Yori smiled at him again; the expression still didn't touch her eyes. "My name is Yori. If you need anything, Kuronue knows how to find me." Kurama bristled at the girl, but composed himself before he answered.

"Kuronue is taking good care of me, don't worry about that. I appreciate your master's concern, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. If I need anything, I can get it myself." He turned, pushing Kuronue back into the room ahead of him; a clear dismissal to Yori. And, just in case she didn't get the hint, he shut the door behind him. Then he rounded on Kuronue.

"What the hell was that? You were, what, _protecting_ me from that girl?"

Kuronue flinched away from Kurama's tone of voice, his head lowered.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to leave you alone with her. Yori is… well, she's dangerous. I wish she hadn't seen us arguing. Now she'll report to Sakyo that you place a higher value on me than he had previously thought."

"So? If he would have asked me I would have told him what you meant to me." Kuronue groaned.

"No, Kurama, that's exactly what you _shouldn't_ do! Don't you see? The more value he thinks you place in me, the more he's going to ask in exchange for me. He has to think that I hold little value to you or else he's going to ask for the moon!"

"I won't have him thinking that I regard you as anything but an equal partner. He can ask for what he wants, I don't care. Didn't he know how it was between us before, anyway? This can't be shocking for him…"

"No, he really didn't know. I never went into the details of our partnership if I could help it, and I led him to believe that you had moved on and would likely only want me back because I am a good thief. You have another partner, don't you? The little Jaganshi… Hiei?" Kurama flinched as the name brought back memories of Hiei's hurt face when he'd abandoned him to come and rescue Kuronue.

"Yes, Hiei and I have been working together for quite some time. But still-" But Kuronue cut him off.

"Good, then I will hopefully still be able to convince Sakyo that I am not as important as you just made Yori think I am. You and Hiei have a relationship, I would assume?" That caught Kurama off-guard.

"We- what?! No, we don't have a relationship! Nothing beyond a partnership and, perhaps, some form of friendship. He never lets anyone in…" Kuronue looked surprised.

"Oh? My apologies, the rumors flying around Makai all have you and Hiei together. I was actually banking on that…" Kurama frowned, sighing.

"It's not that I wouldn't have minded having something more with him. It's just that I really don't think he shares any of those feelings… We might have been getting a little closer, but then I ran off to help you. He was… upset." He glanced up to see Kuronue frowning at him. No, he realized, Kuronue was frowning at the floor, lost in his own thoughts. "Kuronue…?"

"Dammit, Kurama, I just fucked everything up for you, didn't I? Your team, your life, your relationships…"

"Kuronue, don't start. I came here to get you because I love you. If you think-"

"I'm not good for you! Kurama, I'm not going to be able to provide you with the same kind of support, the same life we used to live! You're banking on memories, but things have changed! You had a chance at happiness and you threw it away to come and chase after what? Me?" Kuronue's hands clenched. "No, not me; the man you used to know. Go home. Go back to Hiei and your team. Go back to your human mother. I'm sorry I ever dragged you here. Go and be happy." Kurama stood for a moment in shocked silence, his mouth open in a small 'o' of surprise. Then he smacked Kuronue straight across the face.

"If you ever, EVER try and give me another bullshit speech like that one again, I swear to God I'll knock you the fuck out!" Kuronue looked up in the infuriated golden eyes of his partner, unsure what to say. Kurama had never hit him before… not ever. But the fox wasn't done. "For the record, you _didn't_ drag me out here. I came on my own. And _I_ will choose what makes me happy and who I have a relationship with; no one else! Don't even start with me! I'm getting you out of here and then we'll figure out what we're going to do from there. If you want to leave me, that's your choice, but I'm doing what I came here to do. I-" he cut off suddenly, his eyes flashing to the ceiling.

"Kur-"

"Shh!" The fox hissed, jabbing a finger upward. Kuronue fell silent, listening for what the fox was hearing. No, he realized after a moment, not hearing, but _feeling_. Kuronue felt it too; an energy signal. It was masked, so Kuronue couldn't be certain, but he had a feeling the demon the energy belonged to was powerful. Suddenly, Kurama straightened from the slight crouch he had sunk into, a questioning look on his face.

"Hiei…?" A well-hidden grate suddenly emerged from the ceiling, followed by a small, dark figure. It dropped, landing gracefully with a faint thud directly in front of Kurama, then straightened into a small man.

"Kurama," said Hiei, red eyes sweeping quickly, appraisingly over Kuronue, then returning to his partner's, "you're an ass."

--

Haha! Hiei returns! Ah, I missed that lil badass... So why is he pissed at Kurama? And, more importantly, how much of Kurama and Kuronue's conversation did he hear? Hahaha evil cliffy! Review review review! I promise to attempt to update faster! Much love to you all!

Princess Seki


	9. Chapter 9

Alrighty, another chapter done. Yes, I know this was a long time coming. I have a fascinating explanation that none of you are going to hear, because I don't want to talk about it. In any case, I typed this up a while ago, then decided I didn't like it and re-wrote part of it. Then I had stuff going on, and by the time I got back to it, I had forgotten what I was doing, so I scrapped it and started over. Thus, this chapter was created. I make absolutely no guarantees about when the next chapter will be coming out because I have a lot of school stuff to do and a lot of other things to occupy my time. But you have this chapter, so that's good, right? Hiei returns! Happiness! Or not... Anywho, enjoy!

Warnings: Graphic sex, profanity

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything relating to it. All credit goes to Yoshihiro Togashi and FUNimation Entertainment.

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"Hiei… what are you doing here?" Kurama's voice was pure shock. "How did you find… Oh." Understanding washed over Kurama's face. "You followed me."

"Yes, and you attacked me." Kurama shrugged, unconcerned.

"If you hadn't been following so closely, I wouldn't have attacked you. Why are you here?" Hiei bristled, fury clouding his features for a moment before he calmed himself and arranged his face in a blank mask.

"I'm here to keep your ass out of trouble!"

"My ass is just fine, Hiei." The little fire demon flushed, but refused to be distracted by Kurama's comment.

"Fox, don't make me hit you!" Kuronue blinked, watching the exchange in shock. Kurama never allowed anyone to speak to him like this… Hiei must truly hold a special place in Kurama's heart for the fox to allow him such candidness with his words.

"You went running off half-cocked into a situation you knew nothing about, and you expect me to believe you know what you're doing?" Kurama opened his mouth to respond, but Hiei continued before he had the chance. "Sure, you're the older-than-dirt strategist who has a million contingency plans for everything, but that mentality makes you pig-headed enough to not admit when _you need help_!" Kurama sighed heavily.

"Hiei, I _don't_ need help. I already have a plan to get Kuronue out of here."

"I'd assumed as much," snapped Hiei, "but do you have any idea what you're going to do with him _after_ you get him out of here? Do you realize that this Sakyo, whoever he is, is going to be-" But Kurama cut him off.

"Hiei, stop!" The koorime fell silent, glaring at his partner. "I don't need any help; I already know what I'm doing. But I didn't say I wasn't glad to see you."

"Yeah, well-!" Hiei cut himself off as his mind registered what Kurama had said. "Hn. Where is the Mirror? You had damn well better still have it, or I swear-" he cut off again as Kurama silently produced the Mirror. Frowning, Hiei turned his gaze to Kuronue.

"I suppose this is Kuronue?"

"Yes."

"He's not much to look at, is he?" Kuronue flushed, dropping his gaze as he had become accustomed to doing. Kurama, however, glared at his partner. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, a sharp rap sounded from the other side of Kurama's door. All three youkai whipped their heads around to stare at the door; none of them moved to answer it.

"I have your lunch, Lord Kurama." There was no mistaking the childish voice that sounded from the other side of the door.

"Yori," groaned Kuronue, his face suddenly horrified.

"Who-" began Hiei, but Kurama and Kuronue both clapped hands over his mouth before he could say anything more than that.

"I'm not hungry," called Kurama, sounding perfectly at ease. "Kuronue will get me something later if I am."

"The kitchens are closed until dinner. At least let me come in and leave the food so that you can eat it later if you get hungry before dinner, my Lord."

"Leave it on the floor; I'll get it if I would like it." Kurama's voice was still casual, but his facial expression spoke volumes about his internal emotions. He was nervous.

"I would not dream of leaving the food in the hallway where any passing creature could sample it, Lord Kurama. At least allow me to set it on a table inside your room… my Lord." Though the pitch and tone of Yori's voice were still exactly the same, something had changed about it. Clearly, she was suspicious. And the title she had tagged on had been just a beat too late.

_-You want me to kill her?- _Kurama's eyes slid towards Hiei as the fire demon's voice sounded inside his head. Silently, he shook his head, his eyes urging caution. Hiei's eyes narrowed. _-You're being ridiculous. I can feel her power; she's weak. Let me kill her.-_ Again, Kurama shook his head, frowning now to drive his message home. Under no circumstances could they kill Yori…

"My Lord?" Yori's voice sounded again, innocently curious… "Are you… busy?"

"Kurama." Kuronue pulled his hand away from Hiei's mouth and strode quickly to the bed, whipping off his shirt as he went. As he laid down on the silky red sheets, Kurama suddenly understood his plan. In a flash, the youko had his own shirt off and was headed for the bed as well, dragging Hiei with him as he went. Kurama tossed the little fire demon onto the bed, with a vicious glare to keep him from protesting, and quickly climbed on behind him, sandwiching Hiei between the two thieves.

"Heat the air enough to make us sweat, and no matter what happens, _stay silent_." Hiei shuddered as Kurama breathed the commands into his ear, but it was obvious by the way he spoke that the fox had a plan. Hiei couldn't say he approved, but he really had no choice as Kurama whipped the thick comforter over the three of them and arched his back so as to appear to be straddling Kuronue.

"I'm quite busy," he called, sounding perfectly calm again, "but if you must leave the food, come in and do so quickly." Suddenly, Hiei understood the gist of the plan. He let loose a burst of heat that slicked Kurama's and Kuronue's chests with sweat and curled into as small a space as he could between them so as not to be seen. True, both thieves still had pants on, but Hiei was uncomfortable between any man's legs; clothed or otherwise.

Kurama glanced over lazily as the door opened and nodded towards a small table. Yori smiled blankly at the two demons as she walked to the table to set down the covered tray of food, but Kurama wasn't convinced. She was still suspicious… he could sense it. Leaning down, he captured Kuronue's lips in a dominant kiss, biting the bottom lip gently between his teeth as he pulled away. Beneath the sheets, Hiei shifted irritably as a sudden, unexpected stab of jealousy shot through him, and Kuronue gasped as Hiei's knee nudged his already-hardening member. Yori glanced over at the bed as she set her tray down, and Kurama shifted beneath the comforter, appearing to be moving his hips forward. Kurama raised an eyebrow at the pink-haired demon when he saw her gaze fall on him.

"Were you planning on leaving the food or staying to watch? This isn't exactly a free show…" He shifted again and Kuronue let out a fake moan, his eyes closing. Beneath the comforter, Hiei was restraining himself from punching Kurama in the stomach to get the damn man's crotch out of his face. As soon as this Yori was gone, Kurama would pay for this…

"I was merely dropping off your lunch, my lord. Please, enjoy yourself." She turned and headed back for the door as Kurama buried his face in Kuronue's neck, earning another groan from the bat. As she reached the door and turned to leave, Kurama saw Yori glance at the bathroom door, as though checking it. She looked for only a moment, then headed out the door.

"Shut the door," growled Kurama, watching the girl leave through the wall of his thick silver hair.

"As my lord wishes. Have a pleasant afternoon." Hiei waited until he heard the door click shut before throwing Kurama off of him and leaping backward off the bed. He opened his mouth to scream at his partner, but both Kurama and Kuronue shot him warning looks, and Kurama moved silently across the room to press his ear to the door. He listened intently for a few moments, then cautiously opened the door and peered outside.

"Alright," he said finally, pulling his head back inside and shutting the door behind him.

"You're a fucking asshole," snapped Hiei, glaring murderously at the bare-chested fox. "You enjoyed that, didn't you? You fucking son of a bitch!"

"Calm down, Hiei," said Kurama, his voice amused. "It was necessary to keep you hidden. I think your presence here will cause quite a stir. It's in everyone's best interest to keep you hidden."

"NOT BETWEEN YOUR LEGS, YOU PRICK!!"

"Hush," said Kurama, voice still calm and amused. "You weren't hurt, and it was the simplest plan."

"Why the fuck couldn't I just hide in the bathroom?!"

"Because she checked the bathroom," replied Kurama, his voice becoming serious. "Actually, I'm relieved she didn't notice the hole in the ceiling where the grate goes. Of course, I had an explanation prepared in case she did, but still…"

"And you!" Hiei rounded on Kuronue, still glaring. "What the hell were you doing getting hard?!" Kuronue hung his head, a slight flush creeping across his cheeks.

"Sorry… I swear it wasn't because of you." He blinked, realizing that what he had just said might come off as offensive. "It's not that you're not attractive or anything. I mean… ah… dammit…"

"Hiei, why are you so angry? Calm down, everything is fine now. In a few days, I'll have Kuronue out of here and be back home. I've got it under control. If being here makes you uncomfortable, you can leave." Kurama's voice was reassuring, confident. "We'll be home soon." Hiei blinked, then scowled.

"Why are you acting like this, Kurama? This isn't like you at all. You've changed." Kurama blinked, genuinely taken aback by Hiei's words.

"What are you talking about? I haven't changed." Hiei's eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps you're right. You haven't changed, you've changed _back_. If my partner resurfaces… he knows how to contact me." Snatching the grate from its hiding place behind the bed, Hiei leaped up, propelled himself from the top of the bed canopy, and disappeared back into the hole he'd emerged from not long before. Kurama stared in disbelief as the grate was fitted back into place and Hiei's energy signal slowly faded into the distance.

"Kurama…" Kuronue's voice was hesitant. "He's… right, isn't he?"

"Of course not," said Kurama, turning to Kuronue. His emotions were hidden behind a calm mask, but his eyes were troubled. "What was Hiei saying about you getting hard? You aren't turned on, are you?" Kuronue blushed, aware that Kurama was trying to change the subject, and equally aware of where his response might lead them.

"A bit, yes. Even when you're faking, you're just as talented as you used to be." As he expected, Kuronue saw Kurama's eyes fill with lust, and the kitsune moved towards the bed, where Kuronue still laid, bare-chested. Kurama had developed a habit, during his thieving days, of escaping his emotions for a time by losing himself in sex. It wasn't exactly healthy, but then, Kuronue supposed, Kurama's mind was far from ordinary. He really was reverting if this was his coping mechanism… Kuronue was sure the fox hadn't done this since he had fled to the human world. And he was also quite upset if he was falling back on sex to calm down again. But if that was what he needed…

Kurama reached hungrily for Kuronue as he reached the bed, pulling him into another dominant kiss and moving to straddle him all at the same time. Unlike before, this time the kitsune shoved the covers away from them, creating an open space for them to play. Kuronue sighed into the kiss, letting out a slight groan as Kurama ground his hips into the bat's hips; both thieves' arousals were quite evident. Kuronue felt a brief thrill of fear as Kurama began to trail kisses across his jaw line to his neck, but he calmed himself by opening his eyes and taking in the reassuring sight of Kurama's silver-haired head buried in his neck rather than Sakyo's familiar ebony hair.

"Kuronue," muttered Kurama, moving towards the bat's chest, "you're alright with this, right?"

"Yes," replied Kuronue, voice trailing off in a whine as Kurama latched onto one of his sensitive nipples and began to gently roll it between his teeth. Meanwhile, the fox's hands were busy sliding beneath Kuronue's pants, seeking their prize with feverish persistence. Kuronue groaned, bucking once as one of Kurama's cool hands closed around his hardened member and began to slowly slide up and down the length of it. "Uhn, Kurama…"

The silver haired thief relinquished his hold on the bat's nipple and turned his attention to getting both pairs of pants off. In short order, both bandits were naked, their arousals creating glorious friction as they entwined their bodies. Kurama planted another passionate kiss on Kuronue's lips, but pulled away all too soon and once again moved downward. Kuronue closed his eyes, enjoying the fox's ministrations, but they flew open again as Kurama took his already-leaking head into his mouth. The bat's back arched and his legs spread automatically wider, allowing the fox a better angle to reach him. Kurama took advantage of the opportunity, reaching down and rolling Kuronue's heavy balls between his fingers as his mouth continued to work on the other thief's hardened shaft.

Kuronue was panting from the stimulation. Kurama was so good with his tongue, swirling it around like that… he'd forgotten what sex with the kitsune was like. If Kurama kept this up, he wouldn't be able to last…

"Kurama," he moaned, unwilling to push the other man away from him, though that would have stopped him.

"Mmm?" Oh God, the vibrations from his throat… Kuronue almost lost it right there…

"I… won't last… if you keep…" Kuronue's protests trailed off in a moan as Kurama's devilish tongue swirled once again around him. Laughter bubbled up from the kitsune's chest, and the vibrations were enough to send Kuronue over the edge. With a shriek of pleasure, he surrendered his seed to Kurama's hungry throat, then slumped, disappointed in himself.

Kurama pulled away, licking his lips with relish, and smirked down at his partner. Leaning down, he captured Kuronue's lips in another kiss, allowing the bat to taste himself on his tongue. When he pulled away, he was still smiling.

"Don't worry, love. You'll have plenty of time to recharge. I'll make sure of it." One of his hands began to toy with Kuronue's nipples while the other drifted down to nestle between his thighs, very pointedly not touching the bat's softening member.

"What about you?" Kuronue's hand had drifted down as well, and he was fondling the fox's hardened shaft gently.

"Mmm, Kuronue…" Kurama's sultry moan sent a tingle down the bat's spine. He was beginning to harden again in no time at all. Smirking, the bat flipped them suddenly to lay Kurama on his back. Slowly, tantalizingly, he began to work his way down to the fox's throbbing erection, leaving little bites and sweet kisses in his wake. Kurama moaned again as Kuronue enveloped his aching need with his mouth, sucking hard and swirling his tongue around as only he knew how.

"Kuro… uhn… stop…" Kuronue pulled away for a moment, smirking up at his tortured lover.

"Not a chance… I'm- HEY!" Before he knew what was going on, Kuronue was on his back again, the face he knew so well smirking down at him.

"Don't be bad," Kurama purred, nudging the bat's legs apart with his knee, "or I'll have to punish you…" That was too much for Kuronue. His eyes widened in terror and his entire body tensed against the inevitable attack. Kurama noticed the change at once and pulled back anxiously, unsure what he had done. "Kuronue…?"

The bat's lavender eyes were squeezed shut now; he was cowering away from his expected punishment.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me…" Kurama shifted and Kuronue curled away from him, shielding his head with an arm. "I'm sorry…"

"Kuronue," murmured Kurama, gently, "it's alright, I was only joking. I would never hurt you… Shh… just relax…" He leaned down to hug his lover only to have the other pull away from him, a sob issuing from his throat.

"P-please don't…" Kuronue had curled into a ball, back heaving as he sobbed into his arms. Kurama stared, unsure what to do. He and Kuronue had always spoken that way to one another during sex. It had _used_ to be a turn on for him… But things had apparently changed…

Obviously Kuronue didn't want to be touched. Instead, Kurama rose and headed for the bathroom to take a shower. Perhaps Kuronue would be calm again when he got out. Turning on the water, Kurama stepped gratefully under the spray, sighing as it plastered his hair to his body. What a strange day… He turned, letting out a soft moan as the water pounded against his still-hard penis. That was a problem… Sighing, he reached down and began to stroke himself, closing his eyes as he did. Unbidden, an image of Hiei floated to the forefront of his mind. He opened his eyes, startled, as his hips bucked into his hand. He pondered his newest thought for a moment… He had Kuronue back, and yet he was thinking about… Hiei. Closing his eyes, Kurama began to stroke himself more vigorously as images of Hiei surfaced in his mind.

_Hiei…_

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Well, now, isn't that interesting? Yes, this fic has taken a slight turn from my original intention, but I like where it's going, so I'm going to keep it on this path. I believe it can now be labled as KuroxKura AND KuraxHiei... But who's gonna triumph? Hahaha I'm not telling! Anywho, I know this chapter was a long time coming, but I hope you enjoyed it and it was worth the wait (who am I kidding? NOTHING is worth that kind of wait...). I love reviews, so... REVIEW!!

Princess Seki


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